Between 23-25 February 2003, a series of women in politics activities took place in Lima, Peru, including a launch of the Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers handbook in the Peru Congress, a workshop on the Implementation of Quotas in Latin America, an international roundtable on Strategies to Improve Women’s Participation and Representation, and an International Panel on Women and Democracy.
Jointly organised with the Second Vice-Presidency of the Congress of the Republic, International IDEA presented the Spanish version of the Women in Parliament: Beyond Numbers handbook to parliamentarians and civil society in the Peruvian Congress on February 24, 2003. The event was attended by approximately 120 people. Commentators consisted of distinguished members of parliament, including congressman Natale Amprimo (Somos Peru Party), Javier Diez Canseco (PDD Party) and Luis Santa María (APRA Party) as well as the Minister of Women and Social Development, Ana María Romero. International speakers included Myriam Méndez-Montalvo (UNDP) and Jacqueline Peschard (from the electoral commission IFE in Mexico).
Together with the book launch in Congress, a comparative regional workshop on “The Implementation of Quotas in Latin America” was held from 23-24 February 2003. The workshop provided a comparative overview of quota implementation in the region, which ten country case studies discussed. Click here for the full report.
In addition to the launch in Congress and the quota workshop, an “International Roundtable on Strategies to Improve Women’s Participation and Representation” was held on February 25 with attendance of 40 representatives from different governmental institutions and civil society organisations. The meeting was organised in partnership with the Second Vice-Presidency of the Congress of the Republic, the Office of the Ombudsman and Manuela Ramos Movement. Speakers included Julie Ballington and Violeta Bermudez from International IDEA, and international speakers Myriam Mendez-Montalvo, Jacqueline Peschard, Ana Isabel Garcia and Gregory Schmidt, and Peruvian speakers Rocío Villanueva and Ana María Yánez. An informal network committed to the promotion of women’s political participation was established.
The last activity in the series was an “International Panel on Women and Democracy” held on February 25 2003, with an audience of more than 160 people including congresspersons and members of civil society. Speakers included Maria-José Lubertino from Argentina, Peru Congresswoman Anel Townsend, and Ana-Maria Yanez from Manuela Ramos in Peru and Cecilia Blondet. As a result of the debate, Congressman Antero Flores Araoz (Unidad Nacional Alliance), committed himself to present a law proposal to increase the quota for women in Peru and Congresswomen Anel Townsend committed herself to promote the adoption of the quota provision in the political party law then under discussion.
