Comunicados de Prensa

MEXICAN FEDERAL JUDICIARY RECEIVES INTER-AMERICAN AWARD FOR GOOD PRACTICES IN WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP

Yesterday, in Los Angeles, California, the Chief Justice of the Mexican Supreme Court and President of the Council of the Federal Judiciary (CJF), Arturo Zaldívar, received the “Inter-American Award for Good Practices in Women´s Leadership,” conferred by several international organizations upon the Federal Judiciary as the institution with the best public policies for the empowerment of women across the Americas and the Caribbean.

The Federal Judiciary´s strategy for achieving gender equality was recognized for its unprecedented actions to foster women´s leadership within its ranks, transform its institutional culture, and ensure that judges and judicial staff are gender-responsive as they decide cases in all areas of law.

Upon accepting the award on behalf of the Mexican delegation, Circuit Court Judge Fabiana Estrada Tena stated: “Three years ago we set out to change the Federal Judiciary to make it more egalitarian, more inclusive, and less discriminatory towards women, and we are seeing results.” Judge Estrada Tena added that change of this magnitude requires commitment from persons in decision-making roles, and that is why women s leadership is so important and why allies are crucial. “The Chief Justice of the Mexican Supreme Court, Arturo Zaldívar, had a deep vision and conviction and entrusted a group of women and men, but mostly women, with the responsibility to carry out this task.”

The international organizations that awarded the prize are the Inter-American Commission of Women (CIM) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), ParlAmericas, and International IDEA, along with two civil society organizations, Caribbean Women in Leadership (CIWiL) and the Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women s Rights (CLADEM); with the collaboration of the Summit of the Americas Secretariat, the Department for Effective Public Management (DGPE) of the OAS, and the support of the Government of Canada.

These organizations are part of the Inter-American Task Force on Women s Leadership,” composed of key inter-American and international organizations with recognized experience in women s leadership.

The nomination for the award was endorsed by: the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico; the Representative of UN Women in Mexico; the International Association of Woman Judges; the Mexican Association of Women Judges, A.C.; Intersecta Organización para la Igualdad, A.C.; and Elementa DDHH, A.C., whom the Mexican Supreme Court and the Council of the Federal Judiciary thank for their valuable support.

With this award, Mexican Federal Judiciary sets itself apart as an international leader in the implementation of public policies for women´s empowerment and substantive equality.