More than 70 women leaders examined social and legal challenges still confronting women in Paraguay at a forum, “Public Policies for Women: Progress and Challenges,” hosted at Global Peace Foundation headquarters in Asunción on March 20, 2015.
Spearheaded by Sonia Brucke, Director of the Commission for Equality, Gender and Development of the Chamber of Senators Paraguay, the forum addressed many critical concerns for women, who only recently gained substantial legal rights from constitutional reforms in the 1990s, and who continue to fight for greater social equality.
The forum was hosted by Global Peace Women (GPW), a division of the Global Peace Foundation, established in 2011. GPW has thirteen chapters around the world and works on promoting and strengthening of the role of women, recognizing the essential role of women in nurturing healthy families and developing the social, cultural, and economic fabric of society.
Jae Soon Field, GPW’s International Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, encouraged the women to “train and train” to gain greater empowerment in education, health, economics and various other areas of development. She also introduced the GPF’s guiding vision that all humanity is One Family under God.
Every month Global Peace Women-Paraguay hosts forums for women leaders from all areas, including government, business, social advocacy, and community and family life. These convenings enable leaders to discuss issues relating to women’s role in social transformation in the twenty-first century and the importance of developing moral and innovative leadership.
The March forum included women representatives from Paraguay’s National Congress, Municipality of Asunción, and Ministries of Education, Finance, Youth, Justice and Work, and Public Health and Social Welfare. Private sector women leaders from Senepa, National Fund of Culture-fondec, Petropar, Environmental Protection Paraguayan, International Association of Lions Club, Special Olympics, and Network of Women Policies, as well as neighborhood committees, and businesses, also participated.
Participants were energized, expressing their dedication towards the important issue of developing women’s rights as they shared a toast to close the evening.