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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, third from left, with relatives of the late Daphne Phillips-Gaskin at her funeral on December 17 at the Trinidadian Christian Centre in Petit Valley. - Photo courtesy the UNCFORMER UNC senator Dr Daphne Phillips-Gaskin was lauded by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, SC, for her contributions to both personal and public life, remembering her as a distinguished scholar and as her "dearest sister in public life."
Persad-Bissessar addressed mourners at the funeral on December 17 at the Trinidadian Christian Centre in Petit Valley.
"Daphne was a distinguished scholar and a devoted public servant. She was guided always by conscience and principle. She was also a trusted colleague and a sister in service. Daphne was always at my side like a sister," Persad-Bissessar said.
"As we move through the Christmas season, a time that calls us to humility and care for others, we remember a woman shaped not by recognition but by service. She worked steadily and faithfully so that others might live with dignity and security."
Phillips-Gaskin, 82, died on December 3.
The PM recalled that Phillips-Gaskin's journey began in Belmont and was grounded in compassion early on.
She was trained as a nurse and midwife and understood service in its most human form. Persad-Bissessar said Phillips-Gaskin knew how to listen, respect vulnerability, and act with care.
Her academic career was pursued at the University of the West Indies, culminating in a doctoral scholarship in sociology, deepened her gender equality and community empowerment.
Persad-Bissessar highlighted that, as a senior lecturer, Phillips-Gaskin believed that education carried an obligation.
"Knowledge, to Daphne, was meant to uplift and strengthen communities. When she entered public life, she carried that gravity into Government. I was there, I remember well," Persad-Bissessar said.
"As a senator and Cabinet Minister in the 1995 to 2001 UNC administrations, Daphne helped shape a more humane national agenda. Then, it was not easy for her, coming from her community of Belmont. She never regretted it. She was brave and fought for the people of TT."
Persad-Bissessar added that some of the men did not have the belly to do what Phillips-Gaskin did "back in the days."
"Daphne understood that a society cannot be strong if families are unsafe, if women are unprotected, or if opportunity is denied by circumstance," Persad-Bissessar said.
"Her leadership in advancing gender policy, strengthening protections against domestic violence, and championing family law reform was grounded in foresight and principle."
Persad-Bissessar went on to say that thousands of women gained skills, training, and employment because Phillips-Gaskin believed in their capacity to stand on their own.
"She did not see statistics. She saw people, families, and humanity. She also recognised the importance of culture and heritage, supporting work that protected historic buildings and cultural spaces," the Prime Minister said.
"In November 2000, she carried the responsibility of acting Prime Minister, discharging that duty with calm authority and restraint. Her loyalty to the UNC was principled and enduring."
The PM recalled that at a critical moment in 2010, Phillips-Gaskin stood publicly with her at personal cost.
"I remain eternally grateful for that act of courage and loyalty. We served together when women in national leadership were still required to prove that our voices belonged," Persad-Bissessar said.
"Her judgment was steady. Her counsel was wise. Her loyalty never wavered. She was more than a colleague. She was my dearest sister in public life."
Though she is no longer alive, the PM said her legacy lives on in the laws she shaped, the women she empowered, the families she protected, and the standard she set for public service.
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