Melange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine July 2020 | Page 75

Jennifer
Hosten
That Jennifer Hosten
is considered a role
model for women, and
especially so for women
of colour, is undeniable. Born
on the tiny Caribbean island of
Grenada, she has accomplished
what many women of colour
have dreamt of but until then,
had never attained – she was
crowned Miss World 1970!
A historically amazing feat,
and one that may cause many
to boast, Jennifer, however
exudes a charming modesty
that effortlessly endears her
to those with whom she
interacts. Confident, intelligent
and gracious, a conversation
with her equates to a learning
experience, with wisdom shared
unwittingly in the utterance of
her every thoughtful word.
Jennifer’s legacy extends
beyond the pageant stage,
beyond Grenada and beyond
London, England, the then
location for the Miss World
event. After marrying a
Canadian and making Ottawa
her home, in the 1990’s Jennifer
worked with the Canadian
International Development
Agency (CIDA) as a Country
Analyst and Development
Worker; then as a Canadian Aid
worker and diplomat with the
Canadian High Commission
in Bangladesh. In those two
countries, democracy and
women’s rights were issues she
fought hard for. She also worked
as a Technical Adviser on Trade
to the Organization of Eastern
Caribbean States (OECS); as a
Diplomat in the capacity of High
Commissioner for Grenada in
Ottawa and more recently as
a psychotherapist, a job she
retired from in 2019.
An innate desire to do things
that were bigger than herself
resided within her since a