Panamanian Female Leaders

Mireya Moscoso is a Panamanian politician who became the first female president of Panama in 1999. Previously married to three-time president Arnulfo Arias, she assumed control of his political party, the Arnulfista Party (PA), after his death. Her tenure as the president was marred by corruption scandals, and she was succeeded by Martín Torrijos in 2004. 

Politician and diplomat Isabel de Saint Malo is the first woman in Panamanian history who served as Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama. She held office under President Juan Carlos Varela from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2019. She advocates for several social-issues including eradicating poverty and social inequality and drove policies centred on such issues.

Former First Lady of Panama and the wife of former Panamanian president Juan Carlos Varela, Lorena Castillo has also had a 17-year stint as a journalist. She has also been a presenter and co-producer at Telemetro Reporta and has worked for UNAIDS and been associated with other humanitarian and social initiatives.

A lawyer and a former professor of human rights and criminal law at USMA, Zulay Rodríguez has also taught at the University of Panama and the ULACIT. She later stepped into politics with the Democratic Revolutionary Party and now serves as a deputy and the vice president of the National Assembly of Panama.

Panamanian politician and Democratic Revolutionary Party member Balbina Herrera started her political career as the mayor of San Miguelito and later also served as the president of the National Assembly. A 2009 presidential candidate, she lost her race for presidency to center-right candidate Ricardo Martinelli.

Panamanian lawyer and politician Ana Matilde Gómez has had a long career as a public and corporate lawyer. He has also taught at the Latin University of Panama. She has not only served as the attorney general of Panama but has also been a National Assembly member. She was a presidential candidate in 2019.