She married
Michael Manley in 1972, and they had two children: the first in 1974 and the second in 1980. Michael Manley was 17 years older than her, and she was his fourth wife. He became
Prime Minister of Jamaica in 1972, holding the role for eight years. Manley was First Lady of Jamaica for the duration of his term, advocating on behalf of women and children. and a leader of the movement throughout the 1970s. A law that granted maternity leave was signed in 1979. Biographer Michael Darrell E. Levi wrote in 1989 that Beverley Manley "played a major role in sensitizing her husband to women's concerns". In 1974, she spoke to
UNESCO about women's rights. She also visited
Moscow and Cuba and was a vocal
anti-imperialist, for which she was attacked by
The Gleaner newspaper. She was more politically radical than her husband. Manley also worked to help her husband "connect" with Jamaica's black populationwhile his skin was light, she had dark skin, an
Afro reminiscent of the
Black Power movement, and often wore "African attire" such as a
dashikiand developed a reputation for being involved with gender-related issues. She later said she helped Michael with his public speaking. Manley was not universally accepted by wealthier and more powerful Jamaicans; for instance, some told her to straighten her hair. However, she was widely supported and admired by the general populace. Manley was Jamaica's patron of
International Women's Year in 1975 and attended the International Women's Year Conference that year. She sought to establish forms of day care and education for infants. In 1975, Manley was fired upon while she and her husband led a funeral procession for the politician Winston Blake. Manley has also represented Jamaica in the
United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. == Later life ==