Organo Judicial de Panama, Flickr
Women in the Judiciary and the Rule of Law in Latin America
Overview
Latin America has significantly increased the presence of women on the high court over the last decade, though female justices are still rare. That is part of a pattern in senior leadership positions in government in the region, and it has had significant implications for the rule of law. Lately, however, the pattern is slowly changing, thanks to new strategies that recognize the value of gender diversity on the bench and attempt to develop female judicial talent at all levels of the judiciary and among prosecutors and public defenders.
In 2021, women in Latin America held one-third of supreme court positions, a significant increase from the 1990s. These changes are evident in Mexico, where the chief justice of the court is a woman, and in Panama, where the president has selected women to fill six of the high court’s nine seats, including for chief justice.
The transformation of the region’s courts is being closely watched for signs of greater efficiency, fairness, and transparency, and for improvements in the management of cases involving gender-based violence and family law. To learn more, please join the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program, Brazil Institute, and Mexico Institute on Thursday, October 26, 2023, from 10 am to 11 am (ET), for a discussion on the new generation of Latin American female jurists and their impacts on the rule of law in the region.
This conversation will largely take place in Spanish, with simultaneous interpretation available in person and online.
Panelists
María Eugenia López Arias
Ana Margarita Ríos Farjat
Hilarie Bass
Hosted By
Latin America Program
The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action. Read more
Brazil Institute
The Brazil Institute—the only country-specific policy institution focused on Brazil in Washington—aims to deepen understanding of Brazil’s complex landscape and strengthen relations between Brazilian and U.S. institutions across all sectors. Our mission is to provide thoughtful leadership and innovative ideas to help democracies evolve and enhance their capacity to deliver results. We achieve this by producing independent research and programs that bridge the gap between scholarship and policy, while serving as a hub for policymakers, scholars, and private sector leaders. Read more
Mexico Institute
The Mexico Institute seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship. A binational Advisory Board, chaired by Luis Téllez and Earl Anthony Wayne, oversees the work of the Mexico Institute. Read more
Thank you for your interest in this event. Please send any feedback or questions to our Events staff.
