The Ministry of Women or Ministry of Women's Affairs (MWA) is a Paraguayan state ministry established in 2012. The current Minister of Women is Celina Esther Lezcano, who succeeded Nilda Romero in March 2021.[1]
History of the ministry
editIn 1993 the Paraguayan state created a Secretariat for Women's Affairs within the Office of the President.[2] This secretariat was raised to the status of a Ministry of Women's Affairs by Act No. 4675, in 2012.[3]
In 2013 the Ministry took action to address high rates of domestic violence, promoting a national 24-hour telephone hotline for victims and operating a shelter in Asunción for female victims of sex trafficking or domestic violence.[4] The Ministry is participating in the National Commission on Climate Change, which is preparing a National Gender Strategy on Climate Change to advance women's rights in relation to the environment.[5] In 2018 Presidential Decree no. 936 established a National Equality Plan, setting out 2018-2024 plans for the Ministry of Women to work towards gender equality in partnership with UN Women.[6]
List of ministers
editSecretaries for women's affairs (1993–2013)
edit- Cristina Muñoz (1993–??)
- Nilda Cabrera (1997–1998)
- Haydee Carnagnola de Aquino (1998–1999)
- María José Argaña de Mateu (2003–2008)
- Gloria Rubin (2008–2013)
Ministers of women (2013 to present)
edit- Ana María Baiardi (14 August 2013 – 15 August 2018)
- Nilda Romero (15 August 2018 – 6 March 2021)
- Celina Esther Lezcano (9 March 2021 – present)
References
edit- ^ "Quién es Celina Lezcano Flores, la nueva ministra de la Mujer". La Nacíon (in Spanish). 9 March 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (9 March 2021). "Third Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Paraguay". Organization of American States.
- ^ Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (2017). "Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of Paraguay". Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "Paraguay 2013 Human Right Report" (PDF).
- ^ "Regional report on the review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in Latin American and Caribbean countries, 25 years on" (PDF). Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "IV Plan Nacional de Igualdad 2018 – 2024 IV National Equality Plan 2018 - 2024". UNESCO.