Ana Irma Rivera Lassén facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ana Irma Rivera Lassén
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Rivera Lassén in 2021
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| Member of Puerto Rico Senate from at-large district |
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| In office January 2, 2021 – January 2, 2025 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | March 13, 1955 San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Political party | Citizens' Victory Movement |
| Education | University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (BA, JD) |
Ana Irma Rivera Lassén (born March 13, 1955) is a lawyer from Puerto Rico. She is a current member of the Puerto Rico Senate, elected on November 3, 2020. Before this, she led the Bar Association of Puerto Rico from 2012 to 2014. She was the first Black woman and the third woman overall to lead this important organization for lawyers.
Ana Irma Rivera Lassén is known for being a feminist and a human rights activist. This means she works to make sure everyone has fair treatment and basic rights. She has received many awards for her efforts in women's rights and human rights. These include the Capetillo-Roqué Medal from the Puerto Rican Senate and the Martin Luther King/Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Prize. She also received the Nilita Vientós Gastón Medal for her legal work. She teaches at universities in Puerto Rico and helps the Puerto Rican Judicial Branch with access to justice.
Early Life and Education
Ana Irma Rivera Lassén was born on March 13, 1955, in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her parents, Ana Irma Lassén and Eladio Rivera Quiñones, were both teachers. When she was 16, she became interested in feminism, which is about equal rights for women.
She joined the Puerto Rican Women's Committee. In 1972, she helped start an organization called Mujer Integrate Ahora (MIA), which means "Women Integrate Now." She went to high school in San Juan. Later, she studied at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree there. She also helped start a poetry workshop at the university. She then earned her law degree, called a Juris Doctor, from the same university.
Career Highlights
In 1974, Ana Irma Rivera Lassén helped create and edit a feminist publication. It was called El tacón de la chancleta, which means "The heel of the flip-flop." At first, it was part of another journal, but it became independent the next year. She has written many essays, poems, and newspaper articles. These appeared in various publications over the years. In 1984, she wrote a regular column called "La mujer de siglo XXI" (Women of the 21st Century). In 1988, she co-founded a magazine called Luna Nueva for a group called Feminists on the March.
Rivera's legal work has mostly focused on human rights law. This includes fighting against discrimination and gender violence. She also works for socio-economic and cultural rights. She herself faced discrimination. For example, in the 1980s, she was not allowed to enter court wearing pants. She was told she had to wear a skirt. She took legal action against the judge and won.
In 1993, she spoke at the United Nations World Conference on Human Rights. She talked about rights violations and police files kept on feminists in Puerto Rico. She also wrote a book about the history of the feminist movement. The book is called Documentos del Feminismo en Puerto Rico: Facsímiles de la Historia. She wrote it with Elizabeth Crespo Kebler.
In 2012, Rivera was elected president of the Bar Association of Puerto Rico. She was the first Afro-Puerto Rican and the third woman to hold this position. She served a two-year term. After her term, she returned to her private law practice and teaching. In 2015, she helped review a bill to combine several government offices. This new department would focus on human rights for different groups. These groups included the elderly, people with disabilities, and veterans. In 2016, she was asked to join the Advisory Committee on Access to Justice. This committee helps people get fair legal treatment. In March 2024, the Citizens' Victory Movement chose her as their candidate for Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico in Washington DC.
Awards and Recognition
Ana Irma Rivera Lassén is recognized as an expert on gender, race, and human rights. The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean has honored her. She is also a member of a committee that defends women's rights in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 2003, the Puerto Rican Senate gave her the "Medalla Senatorial Capetillo-Roqué." This was for her important work in women's rights in Puerto Rico. In 2006, she received the "Martin Luther King/Arturo Alfonso Schomburg Prize." This award honored her work against discrimination and for civil rights. The next year, the Puerto Rican Bar Association gave her the Nilita Vientós Gastón Medal for her legal skills. In 2009, she was named "Collegiate of the Year." In 2023, USA Today named her one of their Women of the Year. This award recognizes women who have made a big difference in the country.
Images for kids
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Rivera Lassén in 2021
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Rivera Lassén in 2015
See also
In Spanish: Ana Irma Rivera Lassén para niños
