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Posts Tagged ‘Michelle Bachelet’

Chile Pushing for Gender Quotas

12:54 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Chile| Politics| Women · Comments Off

16 Feb 2007

Here in the U.S. “quotas” has become a dirty word especially with affirmative action being challenged in both the academic world and in the job market. Today I was surprised to read that countries around the world have gender quota laws on the books to ensure parity within their governments.

50 countries have adopted quota laws.
Eleven of those are in Latin America. Roughly half of those countries, she said, have passed measures to ensure that women not only make up a guaranteed percentage of candidates, but that women are not placed at the ends of electoral lists.
The countries with the most progressive laws include Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Colombia, which is the only country with a quota law for the executive branch and requires 30 percent female representation in high-ranking, decision-making posts in all state agencies.
Beginning in 1991 with Argentina, 11 Latin American countries adopted quota laws during the 1990s.
Colombia adopted a quota law in 2000. That same year Venezuela revoked its 1997 law, after the nation’s high court declared it unconstitutional. Venezuela’s quota law had applied only to the 1998 election, during which the presence of women in Congress increased to 12 percent from 6 percent. Following the court decision, female representation dropped to around 10 percent.
Most quota laws in the region set their minimum at 30 percent overall representation, combining upper and lower houses. Paraguay calls for 20 percent, Costa Rica for 40 percent.

Shakira meets Bachelet to discuss child labor

1:27 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Activism| Celebrities| Chile| Latin America| children · Comments Off

1 Dec 2006

Shakira was in Santiago de Chile last week to meet with President Michelle Bachelet to discuss child labor in her country as well as in the rest of Latin America. Shakira has made this issue her own in her role as ambassador for UNICEF, as well as being a UN children’s ambassador and the head of Pies Descalzos, her own non-profit organization:

Shakira, who was in Chile to do two concerts, was received by Bachelet in the governmental palace, La Moneda, where the two talked about the protection that all children need.

Long before the singer arrived at the palace, outside 300 people congregated and didn’t seem to mind the harsh sun or the temperature which was way above 30 degrees Celcius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

After meeting with President Bachelet for about half an hour, Shakira made a plea to Chilean parents:

I ask that all Chilean parents send their children to school, that they protect them from vulnerable situations, from child labor and that we all start thinking more about children.”

Via / TheDay.com

Image via Santiago Times

Chile’s Bachelet focuses on social issues

11:20 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Chile| Politics · 3 Comments

23 May 2006

Michelle Bachelet, the Chilean president who was elected in March and is the first woman to hold this office in South America, addressed the nation yesterday from Valparaiso to announce some of the initiatives of her administration. It’s clear that Bachelet’s focus is on effecting change in the areas of Chilean society where it is most needed. She plans to take profits from Chile’s booming copper industry and invest funds into social programs for the poor, secured pensions, education and other initiatives.However, Bachelet is being cautious about how she allocates the estimated 11 billion dollars in revenue, stating:

“Latin America’s history is full of examples of how wealth created in good times was poorly administered, and how things would end in crisis,” said President Bachelet, making special reference to Chile’s own “boom” more than a century ago when saltpeter mining in the north created tremendous wealth for the country. “The price of copper today creates an opportunity for us, but it is also a challenge,” she said.

Chile has its First Lady

2:26 pm By Maegan La Mala · Chile| Women · Comments Off

13 Mar 2006

This past Saturday, Chile got its first female president, Michelle Bachelet. A single mother, Socialist, and former political prisoner under the 17 year Pinochet dictatorship, Bachelet is the first mujer to be voted into office in South America who not the widow of a political leader and has built a career on her own. Bachelet, an agnostic, did not swear but promised to uphold the Chilean Constitution. Felicidades Michelle and felicidades Chile.

Via / The New York Times and Latina Lista

Southern Cone Making Strides for la Mujeres

3:55 pm By Maegan La Mala · Argentina| Brazil| Chile · Comments Off

16 Jan 2006

Brazil currently writing legislation which would legalize abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy without restriction and up to 20 weeks in cases of rape and in all circumstances to protect a woman’s health or if the fetus is not viable. Currently abortions are allowed only in cases of rape or when a woman’s life is in danger.

Argentine homemakers are now eligible for retirement pensions from the state. According to a presidential decree homemakers will be able to receive retirement benefits and will be exempted from the rule that they contribute financially to the pension program for at least 30 years, normally required of paid workers.

And yesterday, Chile elected its first female president, Michelle Bachelet. The Socialist single mother beat, with over 60% of the vote, conservative billionaire Sebastián Piñera.

Via/ Women’s eNews & The New York Times

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