Barbadian Rosina Wiltshire, an international expert on development and gender equality, has been appointed by the Organization of American States (OAS) to a high-level group to promote the implementation of the recommendations of the Electoral Observation Missions (EOM) in the field of women’s political participation.
The OAS said Wiltshire, appointed by the First Caribbean Community Advocate for Gender Justice for the year 2010 by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), will sit on the panel headed by the former president of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla.
The panel also includes Diana Atamaint, chair of the National Electoral Council of Ecuador; Gabriela Cuevas, former president of the Inter-parliamentary Union and former Mexican legislator; Isabel de Saint Malo, former vice president and former foreign minister of Panama; María Ángela Holguín, former foreign minister of Colombia; and Luciana Lossio, and former Minister of the Superior Electoral Court of Brazil.
“These prominent regional leaders will share their experiences as candidates, legislators, governors, presidents or professionals in the electoral field, and will seek to work closely with authorities, political parties and civil society to continue to advance in the development and consolidation of administrative or legal reforms that lead to a long-term transformation in terms of women’s political participation,” said the OAS in a statement.
It said its Electoral Observation Missions have analyzed this issue since 2011 and made recommendations aimed at achieving “more inclusive electoral processes that allow women in the Americas (including the Caribbean) to fully exercise their political rights.”
The OAS said the official launch of the high-level group would take place in “the near future,” adding that the project has been possible thanks to the contribution of the Government of Canada.
With more than 30 years of postgraduate teaching, research, and evaluation, Dr. Wiltshire has garnered a wealth of experience in gender and development – complemented by a range of requisite skills in leadership and development, advocacy and team building, strategic planning, resource mobilization, donor coordination, and media management.
Dr. Wiltshire has served in various capacities at the United Nations Development Program, the International Development Research Centre, Canada, and the CARICOM advocate for Gender Justice. Her skills and professional experience are underpinned by a brilliant academic profile, including her Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
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