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Philomena Sahoye-Shury

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Philomena Sahoye-Shury
Member of the National Assembly
In office
3 January 1969 – December 1971
In office
1998–2011
Personal details
Born(1931-10-13)13 October 1931
Died2 October 2022(2022-10-02) (aged 90)
Political partyPeople's Progressive Party
SpouseVibert Shury
Children3
Occupation
  • Trade unionist
  • politician

Philomena Sahoye-Shury (13 October 1931 – 2 October 2022) was a Guyanese trade unionist and politician. She served as MP from 1969 to 1971 and from 1998 to 2011, and she was also general secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers' Union (GAWU).

Biography

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Early life and career

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Sahoye-Shury was born on 13 October 1931.[1] She entered the workforce as a nurse.[2] She cited Janet Jagan and her husband Cheddi Jagan, specifically a speech she heard from the former while in her twenties, as having inspired her to go into politics.[3] In 1964, Sahoye-Shury became general secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers' Union, where she earned the nickname Fireball due to her "outspoken and forthright stance on the workers' behalf".[4][5]

On 16 June 1964, amidst the Union's sugar worker strike, Sahoye-Shury and Progressive Youth Organisation of Guyana secretary Neville Annibourne were arrested by British Guiana colonial police[6] while on the run for several days.[7] Authorities later charged her and union leader Harry Lall with inciting violence.[8] During her incarceration in New Amsterdam Prison, she occupied the same cell as Janet Jagan.[9] Leslie Ramsammy, a close friend of hers since childhood, recalled in his column Ramsammy's Ruminations that "being locked up and whisked away to mystery Police stations were regular things for Philo".[10] She later fled to Canada in exile, before eventually returning to Guyana.[11]

Later life and political career

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A member of the People's Progressive Party, she entered the National Assembly as an MP on 3 January 1969 and served there until December 1971.[12] In 1992, she became deputy mayor of Georgetown.[1] In 1995,[10] she was considered for the mayor of Georgetown, but this did not materialize due to opposition from the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change coalition;[13] President Donald Ramotar specifically blamed the People's National Congress for not allowing the position to rotate to her.[1]

She later served as an MP from 1998 to 2011.[12] She worked as parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Local Government (1998–2001) and the Ministry of Housing and Water (2001–2011).[12] She was National Director of the Community Development Council, where she "promote[d] women in small enterprises and [built] vocational capacity among women's groups across Guyana",[10] until Joseph Harmon fired her in 2015[14] following the APNU+AFC's victory in the 2015 Guyanese general election.[6]

Personal life and death

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She married Vibert Shury[11] and had three children,[15] including a daughter.[4]

In 2011, she suffered several attacks at her Georgetown home and workplace. There were two Molotov cocktail attacks on her home in January and December, both resulting in no damage.[16][17] Her office was also attacked with kerosene in March.[15]

Sahoye-Shury died on 2 October 2022.[6][10] Tributes came from president of Guyana Irfaan Ali[18] and GAWU president Seepaul Narine.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Ramotar, Donald (13 October 2021). "Philomena has served the people with great distinction". Stabroek News. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  2. ^ Younge, Michael (8 March 2014). "The "Fireball" still lives". Guyana Times. pp. 1, 8.
  3. ^ "Philomena 'Fireball' Sahoye-Shury passes". INews Guyana. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b Parkinson, Cindy (6 October 2022). "'Guyana lost a powerful force for good'". Guyana Chronicle. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  5. ^ McAlmont, Cecilia (4 December 2008). "History This Week". Stabroek News. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d "PPP, GAWU stalwart Sahoye-Shury passes away at 91". Stabroek News. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Three Killed in British Guiana As Racial Violence Flares Again". The New York Times. 16 June 1964. p. 9. ProQuest 115585909.
  8. ^ "Return of Workers In Guiana Is Urged After Long Strike". The New York Times. 27 June 1964. p. 3. ProQuest 115581962.
  9. ^ "The women's rights campaigner". Stabroek News. 29 March 2009. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d Ramsammy, Leslie (5 October 2022). "Philomena Sahoye-Shury: a woman of worth, a genuine Guyanese heroine". Guyana Times. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  11. ^ a b Bousquet, Earl (6 October 2022). "FIREBALL!". Guyana Chronicle. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  12. ^ a b c Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians: Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. p. 72 – via Acute Innovation.
  13. ^ Ramkarran, Ralph (3 January 2021). "Leaving behind the year of the half person". Stabroek News. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  14. ^ "Sahoye-Shury sacked after failing to report to Minister – Harmon". Kaieteur News. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  15. ^ a b Fraser, Zoisa (10 December 2011). "'Not afraid'". Stabroek News. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  16. ^ "Channa bomb lobbed at home of MP Sahoye-Shury". Stabroek News. 8 January 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  17. ^ "Molotov cocktail thrown at Philomena Sahoy-Shury's Home". caribbeantrakker.com. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 23 January 2025. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  18. ^ Henry, George (16 October 2022). "Guyana: President Irfaan Ali addresses opening of the 2022 Berbice Expo and Trade Fair – Writeups 24". Writeups 24. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
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