Gladys Bustamante

Who was Gladys Bustamante?

Gladys Bustamante, OJ, was a Jamaican workers' and women's rights activist and the widow of Jamaica's first Prime Minister, Sir Alexander Bustamante. Bustamante, a prominent member of the Jamaican trade union movement, was affectionately known as "Lady B" by Jamaicans.

She has been called the "Mother of the Nation" due to her relationship with many of Jamaica's founders. Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding has called Bustamante "an icon of political struggles" in Jamaica's march towards independence.