On November 22, the FGV´s Rio de Janeiro Law School hosted international guest Cathy Allen, of the U.S. National Women’s Political Caucus, who participated in an international seminar called “More Women in Politics.” The event was organized by the law school’s Diversity Program together with Rio de Janeiro State University’s Gender Inequalities and Relations Study Center and the Consulate General of the United States in Rio, and it was supported by law firm Mattos Filho. The other speakers were Professor Clara Araújo (of Rio de Janeiro State University), Professor Ligia Fabris (of the FGV´s Rio de Janeiro Law School’s Diversity Program), and representatives of NGOs (such as Cepia and the Alziras Institute), public defender’s offices, law firms and politics.

In the opening session, the vice dean of the FGV´s Rio de Janeiro Law School, Professor Antônio Maristrello Porto, talked about the importance of the school’s Diversity Program for society. The consul general of the United States in Rio de Janeiro, Scott Hamilton, shared a little of his vision of the current political situation and the importance of thinking about diversity in Brazil and the United States.

During the first panel discussion, international guest Cathy Allen spoke about her personal history. In 2000, she founded the Centre for Women and Democracy, and she is now the president of The Connections Group in Seattle and a political commentator for PBS, NBC and CNN. Over the last few decades, she has helped to recruit, train and elect women in 49 countries across the world, from Africa to the South Pacific, from Alaska to Boston, from Morocco to Kuwait.

The last debate was about “Prospects and challenges for the next elections.” The participants were Ligia Fabris, Clara Araújo, Leila Linhares (of Cepia), Fernanda Papa (of UN Women), Luciana Lóssio (a lawyer and former Superior Electoral Court judge), Silvana Battini (an electoral prosecutor and professor at the FGV´s Rio de Janeiro Law School) and Tainá de Paula (of Brasil Cidades). They discussed the situation in Brazil, pointing out challenges and making suggestions to boost the participation of women in next year’s municipal elections.