IRI's Women's Democracy Network
to Host Conference for Women in Latin America

August 4, 2006

Washington, D.C. --The International Republican Institute's (IRI) Women's Democracy Network (WDN) will host the first in a series of regional conferences in Lima, Peru, August 9-11. Prominent women activists, members of parliament and political leaders from throughout Latin America and the Caribbean will gather in Lima for panel discussions and workshops to share experiences and identify new methods of recruiting women for leadership positions.

Women from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Cuba (via video conference), Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Spain and Venezuela, will participate in workshops on Identifying the Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Politics in Latin America, How to Recruit Women for Leadership Roles in Politics, and Fundraising for Women Candidates.

Addressing the conference will be Ana Vilma de Escobar, Vice President of El Salvador; Vilma Rosa Leon-York, President, Deposit Guarantee Funds of Nicaragua; and Susana Villaran, founder of the Party for Social Democracy and former Minister of Women's Promotion and Social Development in Peru. Judy Singleton, Co-founder and National Expansion Director of the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series; Terry Neese, Founder of Women Impacting Public Policy; and Judy Van Rest, Executive Vice President of IRI will lead the U.S. delegation to the conference.

The WDN is an initiative established by IRI to foster relationships among women leaders from around the world, providing them with opportunities to share experiences and develop the skills needed for professional advancement. The Women's Democracy Network encourages and supports women working to advance political, civic and economic participation in their countries and to create regional networks to strengthen their development.

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Related links:

Women's Democracy Network website

Women's Democracy Network Brochure

A nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing democracy worldwide