Dr. Gale Rigobert hails from the Eastern village of Micoud. She credits her holistic appreciation for life to her well-rounded upbringing and in particular the time spent on her dad’s farm. Her early education was at the Micoud Infant and Primary schools, followed by attendance at St. Joseph’s Convent. She then moved to the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College. Her first degree in Government was attained at the University of the West Indies (UWI), graduating with First Class Honours. In 1996, she was awarded a Swiss Scholarship which allowed her to pursue a post graduate Diploma in International Relations at the Institute of International Relations, UWI, St. Augustine. In 1997 she won a national Cambridge Commonwealth Scholarship which afforded her the distinguished opportunity to pursue a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in International Relations at the University of Cambridge. After her graduation from Cambridge University she worked in the private sector in the UK as an applications developer and business consultant. In 2002 she returned to UWI, St. Augustine, where she lectured in Government and International Relations. She has also lectured at the University of Sussex in England, Anton de Kom University in Suriname. She has participated in conferences in the Caribbean, Latin America, North America, the Middle East and Europe, covering diverse topics such as Globalization, empowerment of women, technology and development in small island states, foreign policy and national security. In 2011, while on secondment to the Government of Saint Lucia, she got the opportunity of a lifetime to pursue one of her greatest dreams: to enter elective politics. In the November 2011 elections, she emerged victorious in a three way fight. She is now the Parliamentary Representative for Micoud North. In July 2013 she was elected one of two deputy political leaders of the United Workers Party. In February 2014 she became the first female leader of the Parliamentary Opposition. Dr. Rigobert’s academic writings include Bridging the Digital Divide? Prospects for Caribbean Development in the New Techno-economic Paradigm. Her other publications include: 1. ‘The Digital Divide: A new imperialism?’ In Globalization and Governance: Essays on the Challenges for Small States. Edited by Ann Marie Bissessar. McFarland & Company, USA. December 2004. 3. ‘ICTs and the Digital Divide: What Prospects for the Caribbean?’ In Size, Power and Development in the Emerging World Order: Caribbean Perspectives. Edited by Ramesh Ramsaran. Lexicon Trinidad Limited, San Juan, 2006. 4. ‘The Caribbean in the Changing Global Political Economy’. In CARICOM: Policy Options for International Engagement. Edited by Kenneth O. Hall and Myrtle Chuck-A-Sang. Ian Randle Publishers, Miami, 2010. Dr. Rigobert has a passion for empowering people. She continues to raise awareness of the challenges of single parents; unemployed youth and women in particular. She remains committed to transforming lives, serving with unwavering dedication and compassion.