Women approach historic leadership milestones in Costa Rica and Argentina

Costa Rica is nearing a historic political milestone that could see women leading all three branches of government simultaneously. Currently, Laura Fernández serves as President and Yara Jiménez leads the Legislative Assembly. With the Supreme Court election scheduled for October 26, 2026, three female candidates—Damaris Vargas Vásquez, Patricia Solano Castro, and Patricia Vargas González—are competing against one male candidate. If a woman is elected, it would mark the first time in the country's two-century history that the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial powers are held by women.

In Argentina, Claudia Sarmiento has become the first woman from San Juan to join the National Council of the Magistracy. Elected as part of the ‘Unidad en Defensa de la Abogacía’ list, which secured 34.2% of the national vote, Sarmiento will serve during the 2026-2030 period. Her stated goals include increasing transparency in judicial selection processes, reducing discretion in the formation of candidate lists, and implementing legislative reforms to prioritize merit-based rankings.