Hillary Clinton Praises Latin American Nations for Electing Women Presidents

Hillary Clinton applauded Latin American countries for electing women presidents.

On Monday, Nov. 30, the Democratic presidential candidate helped in the official launch of a Latin American Women's Leadership initiative by The Atlantic Council's Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, which is a think tank centered on international affairs, NBC News reported.

In the event, Clinton suggested that America should follow the steps of its southern neighbors when it comes to women presidents.

"It may be predictable for me to say this, but there's a lot we can learn from Latin America's success at electing women presidents," said the former Secretary of State, as quoted by NBC News.

Latin America's women presidents include Brazil's Dilma Rousseff, Chile's Michelle Bachelet, and Argentina's Isabel Peron. The region's election of female leaders has attracted interest and gave way to the rise of women in other political offices, which are often labeled as a "machismo" culture, the news outlet noted.

Clinton said that there has been a huge improvement in Latin America since she visited Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, in 1998 to discuss women's leadership, NBC News wrote. She claimed that since then, the percentage of women legislators in Latin America has nearly doubled, adding that females are now equal to or outdoing their male classmates in educational enrollment.

In 2014, Latin America elected four women presidents and three Cabinet ministers, NBC News further reported. Constitutional and legal changes gave way to more than 50 percent of women legislators in some countries, compared to 20 percent in the U.S. Congress.

Clinton also addressed raising incomes, ending poverty, abolishing gender-based violence, eliminating pay gaps, empowering reproductive rights, and improving the lives of indigenous and "Afro-descendant women," NBC News added. She emphasized that women have a critical role in the progress of human rights in Latin America, as well as in justice and health in peace developments.

"Women are leading Latin America's transformation at all levels, as entrepreneurs, doctors, bankers, executives ... working to lift their families out of poverty and bring whole economies into the future, sparking innovation and growth," Clinton noted, as quoted by the news outlet.

Clinton also took advantage of the forum and criticized her Republican rivals and their rhetoric against Latin America and the Caribbean.

"I know there are Americans who only think of Latin America as a land of crime and coups. They're very out of date. They want to return to a failed policy on Cuba and cut our ties instead of strengthening them. They talk about deportation and walls, instead of recognizing that America's diversity is our greatest strength and supporting meaningful reform that will keep families together, benefits all of us," she explained, as reported by NBC News.