Senator Johnson Smith – Breaking Down Barriers, Commanding the World Stage

From shaping international consensus to shattering glass ceilings, as Jamaica’s first female Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith, is a force to be reckoned with.

Through her poise and grace, it seems like a breeze, but after nine years at the helm, which has earned her the title of Jamaica’s longest serving Foreign Affairs Minister, Senator Johnson Smith will tell you that being the voice behind Jamaica’s global impact on the world stage is a job unlike any other.

She brings with her to the role, the perfect balance of academic rigour and statesmanship.

An alumnus of the University of the West Indies and the London School of Economics and Political Science, Senator Johnson Smith holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws in Commercial Law and graduated as the Valedictorian of her class at the Norman Manley Law School.

Having attained her legal credentials, she ventured into the private sector, completing a stint as the Head of Corporate Affairs and Projects (Legal) at Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited, before opening her own law firm – with every intention to continue in the private sector.

This was not to be, as she somehow found herself a Senator and later Jamaica’s Foreign Affairs Minister.

In many ways, she was following in the footsteps of her father, the late Ambassador Anthony Johnson, who was a university lecturer, economist, Cabinet Minister, and diplomat.

Despite her father’s distinguished career in diplomacy, Mrs. Johnson Smith’s foray into politics was unexpected. As she tells it, she did not plan for politics, but it seems destiny had other ideas.

“I had always clearly been politically aware but I never planned to become a politician,” she tells JIS News.

“Life has unfolded in this way and I have been blessed by the goodwill that my father has left in his trail,” she says.

While her career in governance was unexpected, Mrs. Johnson Smith has fully embraced the role to which she was appointed on March 7, 2016.

When asked to share a moment in her tenure when she felt particularly proud to represent Jamaica, the Foreign Affairs Minister beams, “I am proud to represent Jamaica every day. It is the best country in the world.”

She, however, shares, “To deliver the national policy statement at the UN (United Nations) is always particularly powerful for me. I have done it three times when the Prime Minister hasn’t travelled, and it’s sort of the zenith of your foreign policy deliveries in a year within the multilateral system. So, that’s always very important to me.

“I could also point to when I was President of the Council for the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), some years ago. It was at a very critical time in the organisation’s history. It was actually about to fracture and not only were we able to hold it together but we secured a mandate for us to start negotiating the new development agreement with the European Union,” she adds.

When she is not helping to build bridges at the multilateral level, Senator Johnson Smith can be found in her office along the picturesque Kingston waterfront, participating in briefings, meetings and consultations, laying the groundwork for Jamaica’s bilateral and multilateral partnerships.

The Minister says she typically starts her day with exercise, as it helps to clear her mind and prepare her for the day ahead.

She explains, “The day is always full of briefings, meetings, reading and the preparatory work and consultations that nobody sees, that go behind the handshakes, the speeches, the toasts or the presentations. All the nuts and bolts I would say.

“It may be a national day, for example, where you celebrate the independence or revolutionary markers of partner countries. There may be presentations of credentials where new ambassadors are coming to be accredited to Jamaica,” the Senator details.

Mrs. Johnson Smith says that a lot of the work undertaken by her Ministry is of a sensitive nature, requiring confidentiality.

She acknowledges that this may be the reason some Jamaicans believe that the Ministry is disconnected from the day-to-day issues facing the nation.

The Minister assures that this is not the case, noting, “Foreign policy is often seen as a distant, philosophical area of discourse, but everything that we do comes right back to Jamaica and Jamaicans. I think part of the dissonance in terms of understanding our role arises from the fact that a lot of the work that we do is for other ministries. So, you know we will get the fertiliser but we’re not going to deliver it to farmers. We will get the ambulances and the police vehicles, but we’re not going to deliver it to the police.”

She says that during her tenure, she has endeavoured to share more information with Jamaicans, so that they can understand the fullness of the work that the Ministry does to contribute to the nation achieving its development goals and, ultimately, improving the lives of people, which is at the core of the Ministry’s mandate.

While navigating the complexities of her Ministerial role, Mrs. Johnson Smith also serves as the Leader of Government Business in the Senate, a role that has seen her pilot several far-reaching legislation.

When asked how she manages to find balance, she laughs, noting, “I’m totally imbalanced. That’s really the most honest answer that I can give you.”

She continues, “My life is not balanced, and I also believe that this magical goal of work-life balance is a sort of impossible standard set up for women that makes us feel inadequate. So, I’ve done away with this concept of balance.”

Mrs. Johnson Smith notes, however, that it helps to have a supportive and understanding family.

“My husband is superpatriotic, so he gets it. Even if he’s not thrilled at all times, he’s supportive. And my mom and my siblings are all very supportive and understanding of how much time the job requires and how much time I have to be away,” she explains.

The Foreign Affairs Minister adds that she has an amazing team that supports her in fulfilling her roles and responsibilities, even when she is away from the country on Government business – which happens quite frequently.

When she is not engaged with Government business, Mrs. Johnson Smith likes to spend time in nature and finds solace in hiking, family lunches and reading books.

Yet, the work that occupies much of her time is of vital global importance, reflecting Jamaica’s active participation in shaping international policy.

The Senator notes that Jamaica remains at the forefront of critical global discussions on climate change and trade.

“Matters of geopolitical security, conflicts, war, climate change, financing for development, climate financing – all of these are issues that demand countries to come together and share perspectives and seek to come to consensus, and Jamaica is very well placed. We’re a respected voice. We chair and co-chair many leadership initiatives,” the Minister explains.

She highlights Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness’ joint chairmanship of the SDG Stimulus Leaders Group and the UN Group of Friends of SDG Financing as examples of Jamaica’s advocacy at the global level.

Mrs. Johnson Smith emphasises that Jamaica continues to be a highly regarded voice internationally.

As a key representative of the nation, her voice also carries significant weight, both on the global stage and at home in Jamaica, where she inspires many young women who see her as a role model.

To those young women aspiring to greatness, Senator Johnson Smith encourages, “Know your work, do your research, do the work yourself, don’t rely on others. We (women) are often held to different standards. That is the reality.”

She continues, “It’s not unusual to hear women speaking about having to work twice as hard, but I think in Jamaica we have a phenomenal position in that we have no barriers to our success.”

“Financial independence does a lot for peace of mind. Start saving and investing from early. It’s much better to start small and invest than to just save in the bank which doesn’t give you any interest. I think it’s the best way. I’ve always done it, and I think there’s a psychological benefit to it,” she shares.

When asked if representational politics might be on the horizon, the Senator says that it is not currently on her list of things to do.

One thing she knows for sure, though, is that wherever she goes, she will always take a piece of Jamaica with her – namely her cassava chips!

Senator Johnson Smith was among distinguished Jamaican women honoured for their accomplishments at a special ceremony held by the Bureau of Gender Affairs in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on March 19.

The event, hosted in celebration of International Women’s Day, was held under the theme ‘A Celebration of Jamaican Women’.