Jayanthi Balaguru has been elected as the new president of the International Network of Liberal Women (INLW – LI full member) during the global liberal women’s general meeting in the margin of Liberal International’s 62nd congress in Dakar, Senegal.
Ms Balaguru, who succeeds Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk, is a politician and lawyer from Malaysia and member of Gerakan (LI full member) – she becomes the first president of the organisation from Asia.
Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk (VVD – LI full member, who served two mandates as president of INLW, has been instrumental in broadening the global reach and appeal of INLW. Under her premiership, new chapters were established in Morocco and Taiwan while she delivered events at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women alongside the human rights committee of Liberal International.
Margaret de Vos said: “I am pleased that I have been able to make INLW a strong and relevant advocate of gender equal rights… INLW is now known by many more ngo’s and the Dutch government delegation to CSW and NGO’s now come to ask our (liberal) opinion.”
“Jayanthi will bring a wealth of experience to the role of INLW president. She has great experience to share having been President of CALD Women’s caucus and as a lawyer she brings a lot of practical knowledge”, added the immediate past president.
