Claudia Pascual Grau (born December 14, 1972 in Santiago) is a social anthropologist and politician from Chile, a member of the Communist Party. She started on March 11, 2014 as Minister Director of the National Service for Women, being the first communist in 41 years to be in the ministerial cabinet of her country. On June 3, 2016, she was officially appointed as

Minister of Women and Gender Equality The Ministry of Women and Gender Equality of Chile is an entity created during the late part of the second presidency of Michelle Bachelet (2014−2018) after the releasing of the N°20.820 Decrete of Law in 2016. Its current minister is Anton ...

, portfolio created in March 2015, and which became operational in June 2016.

Biography

Pascual studied

social anthropology Social anthropology is the study of patterns of behaviour in human societies and cultures. It is the dominant constituent of anthropology throughout the United Kingdom and much of Europe, where it is distinguished from cultural anthropology. In t ...

at the University of Chile. She has been a teacher in various educational institutions in her country, including universities, trade union schools and women's schools. She was coordinator of the Program for the Prevention of Drug and Alcohol Consumption of the Student Welfare Office of the University of Chile. Pascual is a member of the Communist Party of Chile (CPC), where she has been a regional secretary, a member of the Central Committee, and a national commissioner of Women. In 2001 and 2005 she was a candidate for deputy for Santiago in representation of the CCP, not being elected on both occasions. Between 2002 and 2005 she was executive secretary of the Alejandro Lipschutz Science Institute (ICAL). In the municipal elections of 2008 she was elected councilor for the commune of Santiago. In the 2012 elections she was re-elected with the first communal majority. She resigned from office on March 5, 2014. On January 24, 2014, she was announced as the Minister Director of the National Service for Women by President-elect Michelle Bachelet. She took office on March 11, 2014, with the start of the new government, and thus became the first communist member to join a cabinet since 1973, during the presidency of Salvador Allende. On June 3, 2016, Pascual was appointed by President Michelle Bachelet as the first Minister of Women and Gender Equality, ministerial portfolio created by law 20820, of March 20, 2015, and which became operational on June 1, 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pascual, Claudia 1972 births Living people Chilean anthropologists Chilean women anthropologists Communist Party of Chile politicians University of Chile alumni Ministers of Women and Gender Equality of Chile People from Santiago Women government ministers of Chile Senators of the LVI Legislative Period of the National Congress of Chile