Nita Barrow Collection, XXth Century
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The Nita Barrow Collection is an extensive assemblage of documents on the life and times of one of the most distinguished women of the 20th Century—the late Ruth Nita Barrow (1916-1995), Dame of St. Andrew (1980) and Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George (1990).
Born in Barbados, Dame Nita was witness to an era of significant world-changing events and global happenings such as the empowerment of women; the Cuban Revolution; the oppressive Apartheid system in South Africa and its cessation; and, several redefining political changes in Eastern Europe including the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Dame Nita, as an international citizen, gender activist, diplomat, healthcare professional and trainer was either directly or indirectly associated with a number of these international events. She was President of three major international bodies, namely, the World Council of Churches (WCC), 1983-1991; the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), 1975-1983; and, the International Council for Adult Education (ICAE), 1989-1990. Her leadership of these international entities enabled her to become a global champion and make significant differences to several causes such as gender equality and empowerment; healthcare improvement; education; poverty alleviation; and, overturning racism. The leadership positions she held helped to nurture her views and approaches to the diversity of interests in which she became known as an international figure. These presidencies were all the more significant because prior to her holding these posts women, and particularly black women, were excluded from such positions of power.
As convener of the 1985 Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Forum for the Decade of Women in Nairobi, Kenya, she earned international acclaim for how she managed more than 16,000 delegates representing approximately 157 organisations. This conference brought together participants from a diversity of cultures. It was later declared "the largest gathering of women in the history of the United Nations." In 1986, she was the only woman named to serve on the Commonwealth Group of Eminent Persons to South Africa which journeyed to South Africa to negotiate the end of that country’s Apartheid system and secure the release of Nelson Mandela, who became the first head of state of a democratic South Africa.
Dame Nita’s life is an outstanding example of dedication, commitment and selfless international service to women, men and children, especially the poor, dispossessed and disadvantaged.
The Nita Barrow Collection was inscribed in the Memory of the World, International Register in 2009 and the Memory of the World, Regional Register for Latin America and the Caribbean in 2011.