Biography
Between 1991 and 1996, Luz Méndez participated in the Guatemalan peace negotiations as the only female member of the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca delegation, contributing to unprecedented commitments for gender equality in the accords. She was elected in 2004 to represent the women’s movement in Guatemala’s national commission overseeing implementation of the peace accords. As a gender expert with experience at the negotiating table, Ms. Méndez served on a UNIFEM gender experts team for the Burundi peace talks in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2000.
Ms. Méndez joined the advisory group for the Independent Experts’ Assessment on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Women and Women’s Role in Peace-building and in 2004 served as vice-chair of the UN Expert Group Meeting on Enhancing Women’s Participation in Electoral Processes in Post-conflict Countries. Most recently, Ms. Méndez was a gender expert for a negotiations workshop held in Doha, Qatar, as part of the Darfur Peace Process. The UNIFEM-sponsored workshop fostered collaboration between women in civil society and in armed movements in order to strengthen their position in the peace process. She is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Global Fund for Women
Ms. Méndez is vice president of the executive board of Unión Nacional de Mujeres Gautemaltecas and has been the coordinator of a civil society alliance that combined psychosocial healing with advocacy for justice for women survivors of sexual violence during the armed conflict. Ms. Méndez holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and was the recipient of their public service fellowship in 2003. (1.2011)