Opening of the Annual Gathering of the Group of Women Parliamentarians
The Annual Gathering of the Group of Women Parliamentarians began this morning, with the theme of Women in Power: Recent Changes in the Political Arena. The parliamentary meeting was inaugurated by the Speaker of the National Assembly of Suriname and Acting President of the Group of Women Parliamentarians, Jennifer Simons, who thanked the participating parliamentarians for coming together to reflect on the role and current situation of women in political life in the countries of the Americas.
Participants were also greeted, via video, by Ecuadorian Member of the National Assembly Linda Machuca, elected President of the Group of Women Parliamentarians, who highlighted that “discussions will surely include the progress made since we [women] became more deeply involved in the political arena, as well as an assessment of women’s role as presidents in the various Parliaments, all of which will undoubtedly lead us to identify our major challenges as key political players in our individual countries.”
Female and male parliamentarians participating in the event represent countries including Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Saint Lucia, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
