Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced plans to create a formal structure within the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) for Labour Queen contestants, aiming to transform the group into a platform for female empowerment and leadership development.
Speaking on Pointe FM on Saturday alongside the 2025 Labour Queen contestants, Browne said it was time to move beyond viewing the show as a simple pageant, and instead recognize it as an opportunity to foster future leaders.
“I would like to see former and current Labour Queen contestants form themselves into an influential entity within the Labour Party,” Browne stated. He proposed that past and present contestants be formally organized to access opportunities for professional growth, including serving on statutory boards and even running for political office.
Highlighting the current underrepresentation of women in Parliament, Browne stressed the need for more female candidates, noting that the party currently has only one female parliamentarian. He expressed optimism that with their talent and educational backgrounds, many of the contestants could rise to leadership positions not only within the party but nationally.
Browne said a forum would be organized with past and current contestants to discuss how best to institutionalize the group and provide additional avenues for advancement, including scholarships, investments, and leadership roles.
“The Labour Queen show should not be seen as a flippant beauty contest. It is about the holistic development of these individuals,” he said, adding that the initiative ties into broader efforts to strengthen youth development through institutions like the Antigua and Barbuda Institute of Information Technology (ABIIT) and the University of the West Indies Five Islands Campus.
Browne emphasized that the contestants, as role models, could inspire other young women across Antigua and Barbuda to pursue personal and professional excellence.
“I want to utilize my best efforts to assist them with their development and to create as many opportunities as possible,” he said.
