Well-known sex worker Natalie Harewood is contesting this year’s general election.
The self-proclaimed lady of the night is creating political history by being the first known sex-worker to do so.
Harewood, 36, gained notoriety two years ago with her explicit viral postings on social media and is vying for The City constituency.
Earlier this week she was at Nelson Street canvassing and said she wanted to bring an alternative hope to those she feels have been overlooked and discarded by the traditional politician and political parties.
“I know them [the people] understand me. I does understand them because in life you got to understand young people. We were young and we got to understand them. Respect due at all times. You got to talk to these young people and let them know this is a real life . . . .
“I was a single mum and I didn’t have anyone to help me and the only way that I could have done something was to sell my body to help my children to get them big. But if I could have changed my life I would never ever prostituted. If I had the sense I had today, I would never do that,”said Harewood who is selling her message as an independent.
She will be running against Barbados Labour Party (BLP) incumbent retired Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, United Progressive Party (UPP) leader, former senator Lynette Eastmond, Solutions Barbados candiate Fallon Best and Democratic Labour Party (DLP) candidate credit unionist Henderson Williams.
“. . . .I would never encourage a young person to prostitute their body that is not nice. So many young girls does message me and tell me they would like to do that and I try to [discourage] them. [That’s why] I would like to pave a way for young people, especially young girls, so they don’t have to go and do what I did when my children were younger. I don’t know what people think about me, I am not a bad person. I see how much people love me, I does see it daily and I can try and help my people,” she said.
She also considers herself a positive role model but admitted that at first she was hesitant to claim such a title because she believed this was the role of parents.
Harewood, who said that she was serious about the move and she had already landed a proposer and a seconder and was awaiting the election date annoucement to pay her $250.
She has a following of almost 40 000 people on the social media site Instagram.
“I am going forward and I am trying to do my best to help the poor people in Barbados and I am not turning back. Nothing beats a try. It was too much fake all these years. I am the real deal right now for my people. It isn’t no more lies. I am not a politician; I don’t know the first thing about politics but I know Barbados is hard and my poor people want help, we want jobs. Too much crime in Barbados. Too much young people coming out on the streets to prostitute their bodies for money. We need help. That’s all I know.”
Some of the issues raised were: sanitation, unemployment and road infrastructure and a the lack of green spaces for the children to play in The City. (SDB Media)
