Beatriz Merino facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beatriz Merino OSP
Merino in 2011
President of César Vallejo University
Incumbent
Assumed office February 8, 2016
Preceded by	Office created
2nd Public Defender of Peru
In office September 29, 2005 – March 30, 2011
Preceded by	Walter Albán (Acting)
Succeeded by	Eduardo Vega (Acting)
Prime Minister of Peru
In office June 23, 2003 – December 15, 2003
President	Alejandro Toledo
Preceded by	Luis Solari De La Fuente
Succeeded by	Carlos Ferrero
Member of Congress
In office July 26, 1995 – July 26, 2000
Constituency	National
Member of the Senate
In office July 26, 1990 – April 5, 1992
Constituency	National
Personal details
Born	Martha Beatriz Merino Lucero (1947-11-15) November 15, 1947 (age 77) Lima, Peru
Nationality	Peruvian
Political party	Independent (1992–present)
Other political affiliations	Liberty Movement (1989–1992)
Alma mater	National University of San Marcos (LLB) London School of Economics (LLM) Harvard University (LLM)

Martha Beatriz Merino Lucero (born November 15, 1947) is a Peruvian lawyer and politician. She made history in 2003 when she became the first woman to serve as the Prime Minister of Peru. A prime minister is the head of the cabinet and helps run the government.

Before becoming prime minister, she was a member of Peru's Congress, which is the part of government that makes laws. She served as a Senator from 1990 to 1992 and a Congresswoman from 1995 to 2000. Later, she became Peru's national ombudswoman, also known as the Public Defender. In this role, she helped protect the rights of citizens.

Beatriz Merino is known as a leading female figure in Peru. She is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders. This is a group of women who have been presidents or prime ministers. They work together on important issues for women around the world.

Early Life and Schooling

Martha Beatriz Merino Lucero was born in Lima, Peru, on November 15, 1947. Her father, Augusto Merino Abrego, worked for the city government. Merino has said that her father was a big inspiration for her career.

After high school, she studied law at the National University of San Marcos and graduated in 1970. She earned a scholarship to study at the London School of Economics in England. There, she received a Master of Laws degree.

Later, she moved to the United States and attended Harvard University. In 1977, she became the first Peruvian woman to graduate from Harvard Law School.

Career Journey

Working in Business and Law

After graduating from Harvard, Merino worked for the company Procter & Gamble. She held important legal and management jobs in Peru, Venezuela, and the United States.

In 1993, she started her own law firm called Merino & Reaño Law Firm. She was an expert in business, labor, and environmental laws.

Entering the World of Politics

In 1989, the famous writer Mario Vargas Llosa asked her to run for the Peruvian Senate. She was elected in 1990. As a senator, she led committees on the environment and women's rights.

Her time as a senator ended suddenly in 1992. The president at the time, Alberto Fujimori, shut down the Congress in an event called a self-coup. A self-coup is when a country's leader illegally takes more power for themselves.

Merino returned to Congress in 1995. She was known for standing up against the Fujimori government.

First Woman Prime Minister of Peru

On June 23, 2003, President Alejandro Toledo appointed Beatriz Merino as Prime Minister. This was the highest political position a woman had ever held in Peru.

During her time as prime minister, she led a successful tax reform. She also worked on modernizing the government. Her leadership was popular and helped improve the president's approval ratings.

However, she resigned on December 15, 2003. She explained that she and the president had different ideas about how to manage the country. She was succeeded by Carlos Ferrero.

Serving as the Public Defender

From left to right: Businessman Diego de la Torre, professor Merilee Grindle, lawyer Víctor M. Marroquín, and Merino at a Harvard Club of Peru meeting in 2011.

In 2005, Congress elected Merino as Peru's Public Defender, or ombudswoman. The Public Defender's job is to protect the rights of the people, especially when they have problems with the government.

During her six years in this role, she helped many people. For example, she helped free farmers who were unfairly accused of serious crimes. She also supported the creation of a Ministry of the Environment and helped improve the government's pension office. Her work helped bring peace and protect the rights of Peru's most vulnerable people.

Working in Education and Associations

After leaving her role as Public Defender in 2011, Merino became the head of the Public Pension's Administrators Association. She also worked at the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru as a director at its business school.

Since February 2016, she has been the executive president of César Vallejo University. During her leadership, the university began using a special tool called Turnitin. This tool helps check students' work to make sure it is original and not copied from somewhere else. Using someone else's work without giving them credit is called plagiarism, and it is a serious issue in schools.

Awards and Honors

Beatriz Merino has received many awards for her work. Here are some of them:

• The Order of the Sun of Peru, which is Peru's highest honor (2006)
• The "María Elena Moyano" Award from Peru's Ministry of Women (2003)
• The Lifetime Achievement Award from Harvard University (2015)
• The Trailblazer Award from Women Political Leaders (2019)
• Several honorary doctorate degrees from universities in Peru

Electoral History

Executive

Legislative

See also

In Spanish: Beatriz Merino para niños