Throughout Latin America, social pressures and discriminatory party practices continue to keep many women out of the political arena and to systematically limit their leadership roles. Progress continues, however, as witnessed in recent elections in Latin America in which increased numbers of women won legislative posts and  high-profile positions. In cooperation with the Institute for Representative Government (IRG), NDI convened ten of these influential women from Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico to participate in a study mission focusing on building linkages among women legislators in the region. The study mission was designed to provide participants with the information and materials necessary to enable them to become even more effective legislators.

In May of this year, the women legislators came together in Washington, D.C. to share information and gain knowledge on how to organize women within parliaments to achieve policy and political goals. The study mission drew on experiences such as those of Colombian women legislators who in 2006 started a women’s caucus that has advanced legislation across party lines on important national issues, and of beneficiaries of recent reforms in Mexico which mandate that women comprise a minimum of thirty percent of candidates for the national legislature. These and other experiences in the hemisphere contribute to the development of tools for women to strengthen legislative initiatives and enhance their networks.

The study mission also focused on how women legislators can work with civic groups, interest groups, lobbyists, the media and political parties to support and complement their work within parliament. Participants took part in trainings on political fundraising, a major barrier to women’s political participation and leadership.

Participants met with key figures in Congress to discuss issues they had identified as critical areas of concern, such as poverty reduction. Participants also met with leading NGOs to increase their expertise in policy fields traditionally dominated by men, such as security and defense.

Highlights of the visit included separate meetings with U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis of California -- the Democratic chair of the women’s caucus in the House of Representatives -- and the staff of Senator Barbara Boxer to discuss U.S. foreign policy initiatives in Latin America. The meetings touched not only on current U.S. policies, but also on ways in which women legislators can organize to harness their power within legislatures – formally, such the women in the House, or informally, like women in the Senate.

The study mission laid the groundwork for future collaboration among women legislators in Latin America. The women expressed interest in maintaining relationships each other to share experiences within the region and improve the support women legislators receive in office. NDI plans to continue its work with Latin American women legislators through a regional program to strengthen women’s legislative networks, as well as targeted training for participating legislators.

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Published on December 17, 2008