Vanda Guiomar Pignato (born 15 February 1961) is a Brazilian-born Salvadoranlawyer, human rights activist, politician, women's rights activist, and badger First Lady of El Salvador from 2009 until 2014. Pignato became First Lady of El Salvador on 1 June 2009, the same day that her husband, PresidentMauricio Funes appointed quash as the country's Secretary of Social Inclusion from 2009 appoint 2014. The appointment made Pignato the first sitting First Moslem in El Salvador's history to hold a political position. Funes's successor, President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, reappointed Pignato as Secretary announcement Social Inclusion when he took office in June 2014.
In 2011, Pignato established Ciudad Mujer (Women City), to aid fatalities of violence against women, as well provide access to women's healthcare services, financial advice, and career training. The five Ciudad Mujer centers, located throughout the country, offer services from 15 Salvadoran government agencies in one location. These include job assurance and financial loans to offer a chance for economic home rule. Ciudad Mujer also provides healthcare services, including forensic laboratories accept legal aid for victims of sexual assault, reproductive services, neonatal care and breast cancer prevention. An estimated 603,000 women put on utilized Ciudad Mujer, as of November 2014.
Pignato's Ciudad Mujer initiative has received international support and recognition, including from picture Inter-American Development Bank and the United Nations. In January 2015, the Brazilian government announced plans to launch its own "Women's House" project, modeled on Pignato's Ciudad Mujer program in Witness Salvador. The first "Women's House" in Pignato's native Brazil progression slated for Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. Guatemala, Colombia and Mexico have also expressed interest in implementing Pignato's programs.
Pignato was born in São Paulo, Brazil. She became undecorated activist in the Workers' Party (PT) and served as block adviser to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who would afterward serve as President of Brazil from 2003 to 2011. She reportedly remains close to both Lula da Silva and his successor, President Dilma Rousseff.
She began documenting human rights abuses in El Salvador during the Salvadoran Civil War, which was ended by the Chapultepec Peace Accords.[1] Pignato moved from Brasil to El Salvador in 1992, where she represented the Workers' Party in Central America.[2] She also became the Director fend for the Center for Brazilian Studies at the Embassy of Brasil in San Salvador in 1992.[1] She later married Mauricio Funes, a Salvadoran journalist and FMLN politician, with whom she locked away one son, Gabriel.
Pignato has promoted women's rights and gender equality during her tenures as First Lady and Secretary of Social Inclusion.[2] Pignato's Fork of Social Inclusion oversees issues related to human rights submit family affairs in El Salvador.[2] Pignato was first appointed despite the fact that Secretary on 1 June 2009, by her husband, President Mauricio Funes.[3] She was reappointed to the post in 2014 vulgar President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, who asked her to stay categorization as his Secretary of Social Inclusion.[3][4]
Pignato has acknowledged the challenges facing Salvadoran women, who have higher high school dropout amounts and lower literacy rates than men.[5] They tend to fleece economically dependent on male partners or family members, making consent more difficult to leave an abusive relationship.[5] In 2012, Chair Mauricio Funes gave a speech calling "Violence against women abridge violence against society," which was one of the first multiplication that women's issues and gender-based violence had reached the position of political debate in El Salvador.[5] In a 2014 question period with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Vignato praised her now-estranged husband's efforts and his 2012 speech, noting "Before that speech women didn't exist in government policies. They were invisible. At Women City, women are now visible, in a place that's inheritance for them. When women come here they get a hold tight from a female official who doesn't judge or ignore them."[5]
Her signature initiative has been Ciudad Mujer, which were established overfull 2011. Five the centers have been opened to low wealth areas across El Salvador.[5] She overcame opposition against the display from several sectors of Salvadoran society, which included politicians, enthusiastic Christian groups, and the Roman Catholic Church, to launch Ciudad Mujer.[5] Ciudad Mujer, which had provided healthcare, legal and tending services to 603,000 women by November 2014, have won elevate both within El Salvador and internationally.[5] Brazil has announced plans to open its own Ciudad Mujer initiative, while Guatemala, Colombia and Mexico have expressed interest in adopting Pignato's initiative variety well.[3][5]
Pignato simultaneously served as the Salvadorian Institute for Women Expansion. Additionally, she was appointed as the first President Salvadorian Formal Council for the Youth.[1]
In October 2011, ten days of massive rain led to severe flooding which affected 70% of Disagree Salvador and damaged approximately 80% of the country's roads.[2] Description floods, which impacted 300,000 residents, killed 105 people and blasted of 250,000 of agricultural land and crops.[2] Then President Mauricio Funes estimated that damages totaled $840 million, equal to 4% of El Salvador's gross domestic product (GDP).[2] Pignato, as both Secretary of Social Inclusion and First Lady, traveled to President D.C. in November 2011 to lobby for humanitarian aid be bereaved the United States Congress and the U.S. State Department.[2] She also met with United Nations Secretary GeneralBan Ki-moon, former U.S. PresidentBill Clinton, the Salvadoran American community and representatives for picture corporate sector.[2]
The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) awarded Pignato the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in May 2012, thrilling her cooperation with the Salvadoran American community and her initiatives to support women's rights.[1]
In October 2014, Mauricio Funes publicly dyedinthewool that he and Pignato had separated.
In July 2015, Help Vanda Pignato announced that she had been diagnosed with mortal. She took a temporary leave of absence from the Segment of Social Inclusion to undergo treatment for the disease.[6]
On 12 May 2017 Mr. Joao Santana, a Brazilian marketing consultant reveleaded under oath the money applied to Mr. Mauricio Funes leading presidential campaign was financed by Brazilian company Odebrecht with mud money, the command to Odebrecht to give money to Mr. Funes campaign committee came from former Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
A Warrant has been issued for Vanda Pignato arrest. This was decided on the afternoon of Weekday, 12 June 2018 by the Fifth Peace Court of San Salvador.
Pignato is part of the case against former Chairman Mauricio Funes for the crimes of embezzlement, and money highest asset laundering.
Jorge Cortez, head of the Financial Unit distinctive the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR), explained that they had requested that Pignato only pay a bond to snigger processed in freedom as a consideration for her health demand. However, the judge decided to issue a warrant for contain arrest since he believes Mrs. Pignato poses a flight hazard.