WOMEN IN SALVADORAN POLITICS: SLOW BUT STEADY

UNCLAS SAN SALVADOR 001276

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ES KWMN PGOV PHUM PREL
SUBJECT: WOMEN IN SALVADORAN POLITICS: SLOW BUT STEADY
PROGRESS

REF: SAN SALVADOR 1228


1. SUMMARY: Although in the wake of March elections, El
Salvador now slightly outpaces the United States in its
percentage of women legislators, it still lags behind several
countries in the region in terms of the number of women
elected to political office. Salvadoran women are also less
likely to vote than their male counterparts. Women hold a
number of important positions in the Saca administration and
comprise three of five newly-confirmed Supreme Court
justices, but there appears to be little significant
difference among the nation's political parties in electing
or appointing women to positions of power. President Saca's
Special Commissioner for Governability, Gloria Salguero
Gross, is training a new generation of women to be the
country's future political leaders. END SUMMARY.


2. Fourteen women deputies were elected in March 12
nationwide elections--a 55 percent increase over the number
of women in the 2003-2006 Legislative Assembly; with women
now comprising around 17 percent of its legislature, El
Salvador ranks approximately 65th among the world's
parliaments in representation of women. However, women were
the victors in only about six percent of mayoral races in
2003 and 2006. Three of the five new Supreme Court justices
selected and confirmed April 30 by the outgoing 2003-2006
Legislative Assembly are women (see reftel: Dolores "Lolly"
Claros de Ayala, Rosa Maria Fortin Huezo, and Evelyn Roxana
Nunez Franco); from all reports, all five new justices are
better-qualified and less politically-partisan than the large
majority of their predecessors.


3. Unlike the U.S., where all recent Census Bureau data
indicate that women are more likely to register and vote,
Salvadoran women are less likely to vote than their male
counterparts (although they compose a slight majority--54
percent--of registered voters). Some political observers
theorize that women do not vote because of apathy, while
others believe it is because of competing family obligations.
(Note: Public-service radio announcements during the recent
campaign season encouraged men to assist their wives with
household responsibilities on election day in order to
facilitate their voting. End note.)


4. High-profile women in the Saca administration include
Vice President Ana Vilma de Escobar, Minister of the Economy
Yolanda de Gavidia, Minister of Education Darlyn Meza, Vice
Minister of Foreign Affairs for Salvadorans Abroad Margarita
Escobar, Vice Minister of Governance Silvia Aguilar, Special
Commissioner for Governability Gloria Salguero Gross, Vice
Minister of the Economy for Commerce and Industry Blanca
Imelda de Magana, Vice Minister for the Environment Michelle
Gallardeo de Gutierrez, Central Reserve Bank President Luz
Maria Serpas de Portillo, Consumer Protection Commissioner
Evelyn Jacir de Lobo, and President's Saca's Technical
Undersecretary Anabella Larde. First Lady Ana Ligia de Saca
holds the honorary position of National Secretary of the
Family, and has been active in her advocacy for families,
including promotion of programs to prevent at-risk youth from
joining gangs. Charismatic and highly-popular former Foreign
Minister Maria Eugenia "Mayu" Brizuela de Avila is often
mentioned as a future ARENA presidential candidate.


5. While the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front
(FMLN) includes the equality of women in their political
platform (as enshrined in Article 3 of the Salvadoran
Constitution),in actual practice, they do little better in
electing women to positions of power than other parties.
Former FMLN Deputy Violeta Menjivar narrowly defeated her
ARENA counterpart on March 12 to retain San Salvador city
hall for the FMLN. (Note: During the 2003-2006 Legislative
Assembly, two of the FMLN's most high-profile women deputies,
Celina Monterrosa and Ileana Rogel, were forced out of the
party due to their lack of adherence to orthodox hardliners'
policies. End note.)


6. ARENA's Gloria Salguero Gross was the first woman elected
President of the Legislative Assembly (1994-1997),and now
serves as President Saca's Special Commissioner for
Governability. Salguero Gross, in conjunction with the
Business Foundation for Educational Development (FEPADE),
holds weekly classes to train prospective women candidates in
developing a platform, running a political campaign, and
interacting with the media. These weekly classes enjoy high
attendance, and include women from all parts of the political
spectrum; Salguero Gross hopes to expand the program if
additional funding can be secured.


7. Comment: Notwithstanding traditional characteristics of
Latin American culture that have heretofore limited the
participation of women in politics and held back their
attainment of political power, Salvadoran women continue to

make advances, and when elected or appointed to high office,
they are usually evaluated fairly on the basis of job
performance. (Note: In recent polls, Minister of Education
Darlyn Meza is the second most highly-rated political figure
after President Saca. End note.) The young women Gross is
now training will unquestionably play a significant role in
the nation's political future.
Barclay