María Lavalle Urbina
Encyclopedia
María Lavalle Urbina was a Mexican
lawyer and politician who served as the first female president of the Mexican Senate
.
to receive a bachelor's degree
in law
. She was the first female magistrate
of the Superior Court of Justice of the Mexican Federal District. From 1954 to 1964 she worked in the Secretariat of the Interior. In 1964 Lavalle Urbina and Alicia Arellano, both from the Institutional Revolutionary Party
(PRI), were elected the first women in the Senate of Mexico. In 1965 she became the first woman to preside over the Senate. From 1976 to 1980 she served as under-secretary of Public Education.
She was a member of different associations including Alianza de Mujeres de México, Academia Mexicana de Educación and Asociación de Derecho de la Familia de la Asociación Nacional de Abogados.
She was the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including Woman of the year (1963), The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights
(1973), The Justo Sierra Medal from the state of Campeche (1981), The Belisario Dominguez Medal
from the Mexican Senate (1985) and the René Cassin
prize from the Mexican Tribuna Israelita.
María Lavalle Urbina died on April 23, 1996; she is interred at the Panteón de Dolores
, in the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
lawyer and politician who served as the first female president of the Mexican Senate
Senate of Mexico
The Senate of the Republic, constitutionally Chamber of Senators of the Honorable Congress of the Union After a series of reforms during the 1990s, it is now made up of 128 senators:...
.
Education and professional career
Lavalle Urbina, an elementary school teacher, was the first woman in her native CampecheCampeche
Campeche is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. Located in Southeast Mexico, it is bordered by the states of Yucatán to the north east, Quintana Roo to the east, and Tabasco to the south west...
to receive a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. She was the first female magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
of the Superior Court of Justice of the Mexican Federal District. From 1954 to 1964 she worked in the Secretariat of the Interior. In 1964 Lavalle Urbina and Alicia Arellano, both from the Institutional Revolutionary Party
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party is a Mexican political party that held power in the country—under a succession of names—for more than 70 years. The PRI is a member of the Socialist International, as is the rival Party of the Democratic Revolution , making Mexico one of the few...
(PRI), were elected the first women in the Senate of Mexico. In 1965 she became the first woman to preside over the Senate. From 1976 to 1980 she served as under-secretary of Public Education.
She was a member of different associations including Alianza de Mujeres de México, Academia Mexicana de Educación and Asociación de Derecho de la Familia de la Asociación Nacional de Abogados.
She was the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including Woman of the year (1963), The United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights
United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights
The United Nations Prizes in the Field of Human Rights were instituted by United Nations General Assembly in 1966.They are intended to "honour and commend people and organizations which have made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of the human rights embodied in the...
(1973), The Justo Sierra Medal from the state of Campeche (1981), The Belisario Dominguez Medal
Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor
The Order of the Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor is the highest award bestowed by the Mexican government...
from the Mexican Senate (1985) and the René Cassin
René Cassin
René Samuel Cassin was a French jurist, law professor and judge. A soldier in World War I, he later went on to form the Union Fédérale, a leftist, pacifist Veterans organisation...
prize from the Mexican Tribuna Israelita.
María Lavalle Urbina died on April 23, 1996; she is interred at the Panteón de Dolores
Panteón de Dolores
The Panteón Civil de Dolores is the largest cemetery in Mexico and contains the "Rotonda de las Personas Ilustres" . It is located on Constituyentes Avenue in Miguel Hidalgo borough of Mexico City, between sections two and three of Chapultepec Park...
, in the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons.