Erika Mouynes is a 2024 Resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics. She currently serves as the Atlantic Council’s Latin-American Center Chair. Previously, she served as Panama’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2020 through 2022, where she was involved in initiatives related to climate change, the environment, and inclusion and immigration. She is also an advocate for gender equality, and is among the first women to hold various political achievements in the Latin American region. Mouynes sat down with The HPR to discuss climate policy, women’s representation in politics, and generating critical political discourse.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Harvard Political Review: During your term as Minister of Foreign Affairs, one of your focuses was climate and sustainability. If you could implement any one policy, maximizing impact on climate change, what would it be?
Erika Mouynes: My background is in foreign affairs, and I think that the one thing we’re missing is there’s space for a full and international framework. When we had problems with the ozone layer in the world, countries came up together, and thanks to that, the ozone is no longer as big of a problem as it was because they were able to take away the pollutants, or agreed to do it. So if I had to implement one policy, it would be the mandatory requirement for everybody to come to terms on decarbonization, or plans for emissions to be reduced. Right now, there’s reluctance from everybody about coming to terms with that reality. I think there needs to be a framework where it’s not voluntary, but it’s mandatory — so that’s what I would change. And I think that would make a world of difference if we stop using climate as a bargaining tool in diplomacy. That is something that we need in order to move forward.
HPR: You have organized as well as partaken in various forums and other platforms for political discussion. From your experience, what steps can we take to promote thoughtful dialogue in an increasingly polarized political climate?
EM: I think that we need to include the other side in the conversation, whether it’s Harvard, which I think often just listens to one side, or it is in the political world, where Democrats only listen to Democrats, Republicans only listen to Republicans. It is almost now sort of frowned upon to bring to the conversation the other side, and we all have things to learn and to move forward. So the way to advance and to avoid polarization is to invite the others, and try at least to listen. I’m not saying to agree on anything, but at least listen to what they have to say. And that you can take to the world stage and the fact that there are certain countries that will talk to each other, or that it’s sort of like in this various stage environment. I mean, we all need to be talking to each other. We don’t need to agree, we just need to talk to each other.
HPR: Throughout your career, gender equality was one of your central focuses. What do you believe are the key obstacles that persist against women in Latin America?
EM: There are many obstacles from the care system. So women are naturally caretakers, and that is whether you have children or you have elderly to take care of, so it is always more challenging to be part of a political system and economic system. And women need support in that because they carry the most of the work in terms of care.
But the challenges are not, I wouldn’t say, specific to Latin America. Women throughout the world, we’re not close to being there. I think you have to always first recognize that there’s serious progress, but there’s still so much to be done. And I think the best way to achieve that is starting with education. And I think, from a young age, from five or even earlier to 15, is such an important time where children need to learn the importance of women and the role that they’re meant to play. And sort of taking away the old standard idea of women essentially as one-dimensional and contributing in a very limited way. I’ll give you an example: I was Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in this continent, in this hemisphere, out of 35, we were five women. So that just gives you that number, right there, tells you that — and same goes for Ministers of Defense or Economy. I mean there are certain professions where women are just, they’ll send them to the Ministry of Women, but not Foreign Affairs, not on Economy, not on Defense.
And we need to have that conversation in a way that is inviting to everybody. And this is the same as the last question — we can’t be women talking to women. We need to be in a conversation that involves everybody, so there are more decision makers that are women.
HPR: On a personal level, how have your experiences as the first woman to hold various distinctions in the Latin-American region shaped your leadership style and philosophy?
EM: I am grateful for the opportunity, I am. And I recognize that there’s no position that you achieve on your own — there’s always a team of people cheering you, helping you, supporting you, and helping you get there. Nobody gets to one thing on their own. And recognizing and acknowledging that help, I think, is very important.
Number two, I think that while it was difficult, I’ve never felt less, or not able, or not with the appropriate skill set. I think that I am a woman, I’m a mother, I bring an additional view of the world to my colleagues. And I enjoy the respect, and the thoughts, and the opinions, and the points of view that I’ve tried to share. And I am deeply convinced that the more women that you bring to the conversation, the richer that it is. In difficult problems, such as climate, as you were mentioning, women tend to be more thoughtful and help to move forward, rather than being stuck in certain aspects. So I feel grateful, I think that we add to the conversation.
I think that it’s still unfortunate, I mean, finding yourself as the first of something should give you pause: How is that possible in 2024? But it’s still happening in several positions and aspects of this world, so there’s still a lot to be done. And we can’t do it unless we make sure that there is education, that there is positive reinforcement. Whenever women suffer by being attacked by the media for decisions that they make, and it’s clearly just because they were women, it is upon us to come out and to actually support those women. So there is also a great responsibility for those who don’t have a voice and for the ones who have a voice and are attacked, and we need to go out and be their crowd, and support them, and cheer them on.
HPR: Looking ahead, following your fellowship, what is one career goal you hope to achieve?
EM: I’m very focused on empowering younger generations. I think that there is a bit of disbelief and cynicism towards younger generations, such as they’re not interested, or they’re not motivated, and that’s just not true. But the tools are not there. And we need to carry voices of support and encouragement and say, “Do it, get involved, don’t be frustrated.” No government is a few — we all have a responsibility, we all have things to contribute. So I’ve been very focused lately in sort of like talking to students in high school, undergrad, even grad school, about how that pathway is possible and how meaningful it can be for their lives.
