BIO BRIEFS

Mayra Buvinic

Mayra Buvinic is Chief of the Social Development Division of the Sustainable Development Department (SDS) and Special Advisor on Violence for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Before joining the Bank in 1996, she was a founding member and the President of the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW). Mayra Buvinic has published in the areas of poverty and gender, employment promotion, small enterprise development, reproductive health and, most recently, violence reduction. A Chilean citizen, she holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Irene Natividad
Irene Natividad is the Director of the Global Summit of Women. She is the former Chair of the National Commission on Working Women, as well as the National Women's Political Caucus, in the United States, and has two decades experience in organizing national and international women's conferences. Her commitment to promoting women, nationally and internationally, stems from her decade-long involvement with the National Women's Political Caucus, a 22-year-old bipartisan organization dedicated to electing and appointing more women to public office. Widely recognized for her outstanding leadership of the Caucus, Irene Natividad was elected President in 1985 and re-elected in 1987, the first Asian American ever to head a national political organization. A native of the Philippines, she is a leader in the Asian American community, having served as Deputy Vice Chair of the Democratic Party's Asian Caucus from 1982 to 1984. Long known for her coalition work, she also serves on the boards of numerous organizations, from the Center for Women Policy Studies to the National Museum of Women in the Arts. In 1994, she was appointed to the Board of Sallie Mae -- a $46 billion student loan financing corporation -- by President Clinton.

 
Marisa Rivera-Albert
Marisa Rivera-Albert is the President of the National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI), a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and leadership development of Hispanic Women. Before coming to NHLI, she Rivera-Albert worked in higher education as Special Assistant to the President for Diversity and Community Relations at Black Hawk College in Illinois, she managed the Hispanic Program for Educational Management and the Learning To Lead Program for Hispanic students at Western Illinois University, and she served for the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Embassy in Panama. Marisa Rivera-Albert is originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, has a B.A. in Communications from American University and a Master’s degree in Education Administration from Western Illinois University. She is also a graduate of the Harvard University JFK Executive Programs, the Center for Creative Leadership Institute, the Texaco Management Institute, the Gallup Leadership Institute and the Mexican American Solidarity Foundation. She is a Board member for Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia and for the U.S. Committee for UNIFEM- United Nations Development Fund for Women. She is a frequent keynote speaker on women’s issues, Hispanic Affairs, multicultural and leadership topics.

 
Richard E. Matland

Richard E. Matland is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Houston. He has also held positions at the University of Bergen and the University of Trondheim in Norway. He received his a Bachelor’s degree (political science) and two Master’s degrees (economics and public policy) from the University of Wisconsin, and received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1991. Richard E. Matland's research crosses several fields. His work emphasizes a comparative institutions approach, looking at how differing institutions can affect women’s ability to gain access to positions of political power. His work includes articles looking at the effect of electoral systems on women's representation in legislatures in Canada, Costa Rica, Norway, and the United States. His research has been published in the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science, Canadian Journal of Political Science, as well as other journals and books. His work on women’s access to political power has been translated into French, Spanish, Macedonian, Polish and Bahasa Indonesian.
María Guadalupe Cecilia Romero Castillo
María Guadalupe Cecilia Romera Castillo is a senator for the National Action Party Partido Acción Nacional (PAN) in Mexico. She also served as a Federal Representative to the LIII and the LVI Legislatures, most recently acting as the Subcoordinator for PAN’s Parliamentary Group. During her terms in the Legislature, she participated in various commissions, including: Health, Education, RTC, Citizen Pariticipation, Population and Development, and Foreign Relations. She is currently the treasurer of PAN’s Regional Committee, and is the head of the Executive Coordination for the National Committee, where she formerly acted as the General Secretariat. María Guadalulpe Cecilia Romera Castillo has been deeply committed to promoting women. She is a member of the Consultative Body of the National Women’s Program and is a writer for the newspaper “Financiero.” She has also been an active member of the National Women’s Civic Association, serving as its president from 1981 to 1985, and is currently a part of its Consultative Body.

 
Mabel Hilda Muller
Mabel Hilda Muller is a senator for the province of Buenos Aires in Argentina, and the Minister of Women for the Justicialista party. She also served as a national representative for eight years, and is known for her defense of women, children, and the environment. As a representative, and now as a senator, she has headed the Committee on the environment, sustainable development, ecology, and natural resources. Additionally, she was the head of the Parliamentary Committee to Tribute Women Comisión Parlamentaria de Homenaje a las Mujeres from 1994-1999. During her terms in Congress, she has pursued many legislative projects concerning the environment and sustainable development, education and culture, family women and minorities, among others. Mabel Hilda Muller has also participated in many conferences on Women and the Environment, including the Fourth U.N. World Conference on Women, and the U.N. Convention on Climate Change in Kyoto. She is a frequent speaker on women’s issues and the environment.

 
Mercedes Gloria Salguero Gross
Mercedes Gloria Salguero is a Salvadoran representative to the Central American parliament, and formerly vice-president of the Latin American Parliament from 1994-1997. She was also the president of the Salvadoran Parliamentary and Former Parliamentary Association from 2000-2002, she led the Democratic, Peace, Progress, and Freedom Foundation from 1997 to 2001, and she founded the Popular Republican Party in 1981. She has held many important positions and has a long history of political activism. She was president of the National Executive Council of the National Republican Alliance Party Partido Alianza Republicana Nacionalista (ARENA) from 1996-1997, vice-president of Ideology for the National Executive Council from 1991 to 1997, and a representative for the party to the National Commission for the Consolidation of Peace from 1992-1994. Mercedes Gloria Salguero has been active in the promotion of women, directing the Feminine Sector for ARENA from 1988-1994, and acting as the Salvadoran head delegate to the Inter-American Commission of Women from 1990- 1997. She has spoken at and participated in many national and international conferences concerning women in politics.

 
Benedita da Silva

Benedita da Silva is Governor of the State of Rio de Janeiro. Born and raised in Morro Chapeu Mangueira, a notorious slum of Rio de Janeiro, she fought against the hardships of being a black woman in Brazil. Originally working as a teacher and social worker, she later founded the Chapeu da Mangueira Residents Association. Subsequently she founded the Feminine Department of FAFERJ (Rio de Janeiro’s State Federation of “Favela’s “ Associations), and became director of the Women’s Center for “Favelas” and Periphery. In 1982 the Labor Party elected her Councilwoman, and in 1986 Bendito da Silva was elected Deputy of the House of Representatives. In 1994 she became the first black woman elected to the Senate. While in the House of Representatives and in the Senate, she pursued many legal projects to promote women, children, blacks, and the poor. In 1998 Benedita da Silva was elected Vice-Governor for the State of Rio de Jainero. In 2001 she presided over the National Conference against Racism, Social Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Co-related Intolerances, as well as representing Brazil as its delegate to the Third World Conference Against Racism, held in South Africa.
Yadira Henríquez 
Yadira Henríquez is President of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) at the OAS. Originally from the Dominican Republic, she earned her Ph.D in law from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. She has held numerous political positions in the Dominican Republic, serving as the Secretary for Women’s Affairs, Congresswoman to the National Congress, and Councilwoman to the City Council of the National District. Her longstanding dedication to promoting women is evident in the numerous positions she has held, including heading the Women’s Campaign for President Hipólito Mejía, acting as President of the Female Campaign Command of the Dominican Revolutionary Party, serving as the Secretary-General of the Federation of Social Democrat Women, and founding the Women’s Education Foundation. As Councilwoman, and later as Congresswoman Yadira Henríquez de Sánchez Baret helped establish several laws that promote women, health, and education. She has also participated in and led numerous national and international conventions on women in politics and development.

 
JOAN YUILLE-WILLIAMS
Joan Yuille-Williams is the Minister of Culture, Community Development, and Women’s Affairs for Trinidad and Tobago.  She received her M.A. in education from St. Augustine in 1992, and is known for her dedication to the promotion of women and education.  Before her current job, she was the Vice-president of the Inter-American Commission of Women (CI), and served as the Minister of Social Development; Sport and Youth Affairs; Minister of Local Government; Housing and Settlement: Trade and Industry.  Additionally, she acted as the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, and was the Deputy Leader of the People’s National Movement.

 
Joan Caivano
Joan Caivano is deputy to the president and director of special projects of the Inter-American Dialogue. She directs the Dialogue's initiative on women leaders and has coordinated the work of its Task Force on Cuba, where she has traveled on several occasions. She manages the Dialogue's Sol Linowitz Forum, publications, and outreach. She was staff associate at the Overseas Development Council, a research assistant at Brookings Institution, and manager of several small business enterprises. She holds a master's degree in Latin American Studies from Georgetown University where she wrote her thesis, Social Policies in Chile Under Pinochet.