Kamla Persad-Bissessar, a lady of Indian origin, created history in Trinidad and Tobago on April 26, 2006, when she became the first lady to be appointed Leader of the Opposition in the Trinidad and Tobago parliament.

Her name was proposed after an executive committee meeting of her party, the United National Congress (UNC), following the ouster of Basdeo Panaday from the post.

Born on April 4, 1952 in Siparia in southern Trinidad, she is a lawyer by profession, and the first woman to serve as attorney general and acting prime minister of the Caribbean nation.

An academician of exemplary merit, Persad-Bissessar attended Norwood Technical College and later University of West Indies(UWI), where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts (1974) and a Diploma in Education (1976). In 1985, she chose to pursue a career in law and entered the Hugh Wooding Law School, where she was named top student at her graduation two years later.

Persad-Bissessar worked in the chambers of Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj before practicing on her own from 1988.

She held the post of a lecturer in Language and Linguistics at UWI's St Augustine and Mona campuses, and was also a teacher at Lakshmi Girls' Hindu College. An active social worker, she was associated with the Church of England Children's Society in London.

Persad-Bissessar, who is an avid supporter of equal opportunities for women, was also a secretary and vice chairperson of the National Organisation for Women.

She entered politics in 1987 when she became an alderman for the National Alliance for Reconstruction in the St Patrick County Council. She served as an opposition senator in 1994 and 1995. Subsequently, she was appointed as Minister for Legal Affairs in February 1996 and held this post till October 1999.

In 2000, she was sworn in as Minister of Education and was assigned the responsibility of pre-school, primary and secondary schools as well as technical and vocational education and training, special education, teacher education, educational broadcasting, educational counselling and guidance.

Persad-Bissessar is married to Dr Gregory Bissessar and has a son.

Following her appointment as Leader of Opposition, Persad-Bissessar, while admitting that she has been appointed to head the UNC at a time of crisis, vowed to cement the divisions within the party.

"There is never a challenge that cannot be overcome, but I am willing and ready to serve to achieve a prosperous nation," she said.