On March 23, more than 80 attendees gathered for the annual Women in the Profession (WIP) breakfast event, organized by the Vance Center’s WIP initiative in collaboration with the national chapter WIP Uruguay and with the support of law firms Dentons Jímenez de Aréchaga; Guyer & Regules; Posadas, Posadas & Vecino; and FERRERE. Vance Center Senior Impact Associate Shaydah Ghom, who leads the Vance Center’s collaboration with national WIP chapters, gave opening remarks and introduced keynote speaker Magdalena (“Male”) Reyes Puig. Reyes, an Uruguayan philosopher, writer, lecturer, and clinical psychologist, presented a thought-provoking exposition on gender equity and women’s liberation based on themes from her recent book “Más allá del paraíso: la Libertad de... read more
Post tagged in "WIP"
Women in the Profession Breakfast Spotlights Women’s Agency, Liberation in Conversation on Gender Equity
Posted on March 30, 2026
At Regional IBA Forum in Peru, Vance Center Events Feature Pro Bono, Gender Equity, and LGBTQ+ Rights in the Americas
Posted on March 24, 2025Panelists Carolina Zang and Anabeli González and moderator Andrea Morelli Ferreyros speak at the WIP Breakfast in Lima, Peru, on March 19. 2025. Photo credit: Adrián Marcos García The well-attended events offered an opportunity for members of the Vance Center’s pro bono network to connect, share ideas and best practices, and set the stage for new paths for pro bono practice, gender representation, and a renewed focus on human rights throughout the region’s legal profession. Pro Bono in Action in the Americas The agenda kicked off with our annual meeting for pro bono work in Latin America. Representatives from the... read more
Advancing Women in the Workplace Mentorship Program Launches 3rd Cohort in South Africa
Posted on June 21, 2024Attendees, including current and past mentors, mentees, and support committee members, at the AWW Cohort 3 launch event in Johannesburg, June 13, 2024. Photo credit: Dr. Kim Lamont-Mbawuli/AWW The new cohort kicked off with tailored onboarding events for the three key groups of participants: mentees, mentors, and members of the mentor support committee, which offers guidance and insight to mentors. Mentees: A virtual onboarding session for the new group of mentees on May 27 began with opening remarks by Judge Nokuthula Daniso of the High Court of South Africa, who emphasized the importance of mentorship in shaping one’s career... read more
Vance Center and IAWL Co-Host International Women’s Day Program
Posted on March 14, 2024On March 8, International Women’s Day, the Vance Center and IAWL hosted a virtual professional development program entitled “Count Her In: Gender Equality in the Workplace.” Lorraine McGowen, the Vance Center’s executive committee co-chair and partner at Orrick, provided opening remarks. In her introduction, McGowen outlined the Vance Center’s more than two decades of work on inclusion and diversity on the African continent, beginning with the creation of the African Legal Fellows Program more than 20 years ago, and expanding into new initiatives like a mentorship program for young Black women lawyers in South Africa, a pro bono clearinghouse in... read more
Women in the Profession Program Launches First U.S. Chapter in Miami
Posted on March 20, 2024Panelists at the WIP Miami chapter launch, Miami Beach, March 13, 2024. Photo credit: Vance Center The morning featured a panel discussion, “The Impact of General Counsels within Organizations and Law Firms on Diversity and Women’s Empowerment,” moderated by Fradyn Suárez, partner at law firm King & Spalding and a member of the inaugural WIP Miami Steering Committee. The panelists – Mariana Seixas, Senior Counsel at SoftBank Investment Advisers; Lin Cherry, Chief Talent Experience Officer at Wizeline; and Rosalía Roman Urcuyo, Chief Counsel of Non-Sovereign Operations, Legal Affairs at the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) –... read more
AWW Legal Forum Celebrates Mentorship Program, Launches Groundbreaking Survey and South African WIP Chapter
Posted on March 18, 2024AWW mentors, mentees, organizers and supporters at the AWW Legal Forum in Johannesburg, South Africa, March 1, 2024. Photo credit: Gabriel Thomas/SP Events and Tech On March 1, the Vance Center and its South African Legal Fellows Network, through its Advancing Women in the Workplace (AWW) program, in collaboration with the United States Mission to South Africa, hosted an afternoon full of celebration and firsts. Dozens of mentors, mentees, law firm partners, judges, academics, and other supporters gathered at the Sandton offices of law firm Baker McKenzie for the Advancing Women in the Workplace Legal Forum, which featured a presentation... read more