16 Facts About Billie Miller

Dame Billie Antoinette Miller, DA, OCC was born on 8 January 1944 and is a Barbadian politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister.

Billie Miller's father, the late Frederick Edward Miller, was himself a parliamentarian of distinction, holding the Ministerial portfolios of Health and Social Services from 1956 to 1961, while her mother Mildred Miriam was a nurse.

Billie Miller was educated at Queen's College in Barbados, King's College, Durham University, and the Council of Legal Education in England.

Billie Miller was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1968 and to the Bar of Barbados in 1969, becoming the island's first woman barrister.

Billie Miller was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1994 within the government of Prime Minister Owen Arthur, and was charged with the responsibility of Leader of the House of Assembly and MP for the constituency of the City of Bridgetown.

Billie Miller later gave up that post during a cabinet reshuffle after the 2003 elections, in which the BLP maintained power.

Billie Miller began her political career in 1976 when she was elected Member of Parliament for the City of Bridgetown in a by-election.

Billie Miller served as Minister of Health and National Insurance from 1976 to 1981 and was the first female to sit in the Cabinet of Barbados.

Billie Miller was again elected Member for the City of Bridgetown in the General Elections of 1991, and served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 1993 to 1994.

In September 1994, when the Barbados Labour Party was returned to government, Billie Miller was re-elected as the member for the City of Bridgetown for the fourth time.

Billie Miller served as Chairperson of the NGO Planning Committee of the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, in Egypt in 1994.

Billie Miller has served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Barbados Bar Association; Legal Adviser to Women in Action; and as a member of the Board of Directors of Life of Barbados Ltd; the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc.

Billie Miller was the Chairperson of the Association of Caribbean States' Ministerial Council; President of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Parliamentary Group on Population and Development for the Caribbean and Latin-America; Chairperson of the Inter-American Development Bank's Advisory Council on Women in Development; and vice-chairperson of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group.

Dame Billie Miller was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.

Billie Miller was appointed Grand Officer of the National Order of Benin on 23 June 2000, for her contribution to the negotiations that led to the new Partnership Agreement between Europe and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States.

Billie Miller is the recipient of the Barbados Centennial Award 2000, when Miller was conferred the highest honour in Barbados; she was made a Dame of St Andrew of the Order of Barbados in 2003.