A special meeting that will take place during the Second Latin American Diamond and Jewelry Week in Panama City, June 21 to 23, 2016, will focus on the role and empowerment of women in the Latin American jewellery industry, The World Jewelry Hub (WJH) and Panama Diamond Exchange (PDE), joint organisers of the Week said in a release.

The meet will take place against the background of the growing involvement of women at the design, manufacturing and business levels, the statement said, while noting that they have been less successful in breaking the glass ceiling in management and the board room.

Significantly, two of the four positions in the senior management team at the Panama Diamond Exchange are occupied by women - Ali Pastorini, PDE Senior Vice President and Judy Meana, PDE Vice President.

A jeweler herself before joining the Panama Diamond Exchange, Ms. Pastorini established her own brand with a female partner in her native Brazil, and today its jewellery is sold at multiple sites in North America and Dubai, as well as in Latin America.

She said, "We want to look at how more women in more influential positions will serve the development of an ethical and transparent jewelry and gemstone business, enahancing consumer confidence. We want to provide not only motivation, but also real support, so that together we can strengthen the business in our region."

Ms. Meana is a communications specialist, having started out at a journalist and becoming one of Panama's most well-known television news anchors, and later serving as the spokesperson for the Panamanian President and Government.  

"In organizing this meeting during the Second Latin American Diamond and Jewelry Week we plan to do a lot more than just pay lip service to the subject," she said. "We want this to be a first step in developing a concrete strategy for raising the involvement of women in our industry, along with an action timetable."

She added, "Networking also is critical, for together we will be significantly strengthened. We want successful women to be able to look back to this meeting in June, and say it was a milestone in their journey."

For more information, visit www.latamweek.com.

Pic caption: Ali Pastorini (left), Senior Vice President at both the Panama Diamond Exchange and World Jewelry Hub, and Judy Meana, PDE Vice President.