UN Women congratulates Michelle Bachelet on her inauguration as President of Chile

Valparaiso, Chile — UN Women congratulates Michelle Bachelet for her inauguration as President of Chile on 11 March in a ceremony held in the Chilean Congress in Valparaiso.

Michelle Bachelet is inaugurated as Chile's President for the second time on 11 March 2014. Photo courtesy of the Office of the President of Chile.

The presidential sash was bestowed on Ms. Bachelet, who was the first woman to be elected President of Chile, by Ms. Isabel Allende, the first woman to be elected Speaker of the Senate of Chile. UN Women applauds these important advances of Chilean women in key political and decision-making spaces.

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was represented at the ceremony of transfer of Presidential Powers by a delegation led by Gülden Türköz-Cosslett, Director of Programme Division, which also included UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and Caribbean, Moni Pizani.

With Ms. Bachelet’s inauguration, women now serve as Heads of State/Heads of Government in Latin America and the Caribbean in six countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago), making it the region with the highest concentration of women in these positions.

Prior to her second election as President of Chile (her first term was from 2006-2010), Ms. Bachelet served as UN Women Founding Executive Director (2010-2013). 

Congratulations to Michelle Bachelet, first ED @UN_Women,for her inauguration as President of #Chile! @PrensaMichelle pic.twitter.com/hAxXCXnO7p

— Phumzile Mlambo (@phumzileunwomen) March 11, 2014