San José, Costa Rica, March 31, 2023.-
On March 8, 2023, within the framework of International Women’s Day, the Conference was held “Spaces for the participation, representation and leadership of women”organized by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The virtual conference included the opening words of the President of the Inter-American Court, Judge Ricardo C. Pérez Manrique, who affirmed that: “this day and every day you must find us working to eliminate political, legal, practical, structural obstacles , cultural, economic and institutional factors that hinder the equal and meaningful participation of women in all spheres, including the participation of women in leadership positions at all levels of decision-making, both in the public and private sectors”.
The moderation of the event was in charge of Judge Nancy Hernández López, who stressed that “the participation and representation of women matters, and their visibility in leadership spaces is not only a debt, but a necessary consequence of the recognition of our right to equality and the exercise of our citizenship”.
During the development of the panel, Mrs. Antonia Urrejola Noguera shared her experience as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile in the development and implementation of a Feminist Foreign Policy for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Subsequently, Judge Patricia Pérez Goldberg spoke about the participation of women in International Organizations and reflected on “how women in different areas, including justice systems, remain not only excluded, but also invisible.”
For his part, Mr. Diego García-Sayán presented the findings and recommendations formulated in the report on the “Participation of women in the administration of justice” presented in 2021 in his capacity as United Nations Special Rapporteur on the independence of magistrates and lawyers.
The Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM), Alejandra Mora Mora, toured the 95 years of the CIM promoting the women’s and equality agenda in the Americas, and stressed the need to guarantee the presence of women in decision-making spaces.
Then, the General Secretary of Parliamentarians for Global Action, Mónica Adame, delved into parliamentary initiatives to promote the rights of women and girls.
Finally, the Vice Minister of Talent and Social Appropriation of Knowledge of Colombia, Yesenia Olaya Requene, referred to the measures and policies to strengthen the training processes of women and girls in science, technology and innovation in order to reduce gender and racial gaps.