Georgette Ebanks, one of the last living signatories of the 1948 petition demanding women’s right to vote in Cayman, passed away at her home on Tuesday after a brief illness. She was 96.
Born on 19 Sept. 1927, Ebanks, affectionately known as ‘Ms Georgette’, was born in Grand Cayman and made her home in the heart of George Town. She was part of the first graduating class of Triple C School in 1947.
A month shy of her 21st birthday, Ebanks (nee Hurlston) played a pivotal role in women receiving the right to vote in the Cayman Islands. The 19 Aug. 1948 letter to the Cayman Islands commissioner was directly linked to the passing of the Women’s Suffrage Act in 1958.
Ebanks was a “daughter of the sea,” Carl Brown, chair of the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, posted on social media. “One of the longest in service to the Cayman Islands postal system (from the days when the Post Office served as the only Bank in Cayman) and was [a] relentless voice for gender equality since the late 1930’s.”
“Ms. Georgette was relentless in her voice demanding that women be allowed representation rights in the Legislative Assembly. In 1962, Evelyn Wood was elected the first woman of Bodden Town, as part of the output of Ms. Georgette’s advocacy,” Brown wrote on behalf of the National Gallery.
“Al Ebanks’ bronze statue of two women, erected in the northwest corner of Heroes Square in the heart of George Town, represents the invaluable place in our community that women like Ms. Georgette epitomize.”
He added Ebanks was “a repository of Caymanian history and culture,” adding she was “the epitome of poise, and a commanding voice of truth, in tune with current affairs at home and overseas. She was fearless in presenting her views in any public forum and was a valued citizen who helped define socio-political life in the Cayman Islands. She is indelibly etched in our history. We stand on her shoulders,” Brown said.
She was presented with the first Ira Thompson Award in 2017 in recognition of her significant contributions to the preservation of Cayman’s history.
“Ms. Georgette held a special place in our hearts,” the Cayman Islands National Museum said in an official Facebook post Wednesday, extending its “deepest condolences”.
“She portrayed the character of Ms. Hattie in our cherished audiovisual presentation. Her talent and dedication brought history to life, and her legacy will forever resonate within our Museum’s walls,” it said.
According to the museum’s post, Ebanks was not just a part of their exhibit, “she was the beloved mother of our founding Museum Director, Ms. Anita Ebanks”.
Ebanks unveiled an exhibition that shared her life story, the post said, noting “her journey was a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit. As we remember and celebrate the life of this remarkable woman, let us cherish the moments, the stories, and the legacy she left behind.”
Parliament Speaker and West Bay Central MP Katherine Ebanks-Wilks told the Compass “Miss Georgette was certainly one of the women back in the ’50s and ’60s who felt that sitting around and complaining was simply not good enough for her and she played a critical role in the establishment of women’s right to vote in the Cayman Islands.”
While “deeply saddened on her passing”, Ebanks-Wilks said she was also comforted to know that Ebanks was able to “live to be publicly celebrated and honoured by her country for her bravery and persistence earlier this year”, as one of Cayman’s original suffragettes.
She continued, “The work of women like Ms Georgette is what allows women like myself, to not only vote, but also serve as elected officials. And I’m so happy that she was able to live to see the strides that women have made in our legislature, knowing that she lived long enough to see five women sitting in the House of Parliament representing constituencies around the Cayman Islands. This means that she was able to see how far we have come as a country”.
“She lived a long and a fruitful life. And as the Bible says in the book of Proverbs, the memory of the righteous is a blessing. Our country was blessed to have Ms Georgette Ebanks. She will always be missed and never forgotten,” Ebanks-Wilks said.
‘Quintessential Caymanian woman’
Roy Bodden, former Cayman Islands legislator as well as educator, author and activist, in an email to the Compass, said, “This lady known for her quiet dignity, politeness and respect for others, represented the quintessential Caymanian woman.”
He added, “Born in an era when these islands were still unspoilt by a growing materialism she kept her poise, sense of dignity and pride in being Caymanian.”
As one of the women who signed the 1948 petition seeking female enfranchisement, Bodden explained she “remained interested in the political development of these islands”.
“She had the enviable ability to express her political differences in the most respectful language. Her moral and spiritual compass never varied, and here again she manifested those qualities of her contemporaries,” Bodden said.
He said her passing “leaves a void in the memories of all her acquaintances, but history will record her contributions favourably”.
MP and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Heather Bodden told the Compass that Ebanks was a “very sweet, gentle, well-spoken lady who I knew all my life”.
“She was an icon in her own right and paved the way for many women the day her signature was added to the list for the right of women to vote. Through death, her voice is now silenced but she left an everlasting legacy which I will carry on as long as I possibly can. May her beautiful soul sleep in eternal peace.”
“A woman we must all call a hero,” Lucille Seymour, community activist, and former legislator, said of Ebanks in a statement to the Compass.
“Her determination and political savvy as a young woman made me a politician in my country. For that, she is my heroine. Without her determination and the 10 women in 1948, plus the 376 women in 1958, to allow women to vote, we would not be where we are today,” Seymour said.
Ebanks gave women “hope and the will to fight. Never give up fighting for our liberty and freedom. To have a say about how we live, die, and what is good for us is a freedom she was determined we all got.”
She added, “The incomparable Georgette Ebanks always to be edified, and her name must ring incessantly on the lips of all Caymanian women for what she had: the spirit, the knowledge, and the will to do and help us to be liberated. She is our heroine, and her name shall be etched in all of her communities to remind us, women, how we can fight for freedom, hope and a place always to be heard.”
Georgette Ebanks was married in 1951 to Nathan Ebanks, who passed away in 1998. She is survived by her three daughters, Anita Ebanks, Ella DaCosta, Laura Henry, three grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and brother Booth Hurlston.
- Editors note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Georgette Ebanks was the last surviving signatory to the 1948 petition. We apologise for the error.
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