On International Women's Day, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced the appointment of Diana Rodríguez Franco as special advisor on gender and diversity, following a competitive selection process.

She will assume her position on April 1, 2024.

The IDB’s Board of Executive Directors approved the creation of the Office of the Special Advisor on Gender and Diversity in September of last year. Rodríguez Franco will report to IDB President Ilan Goldfajn.

"We're thrilled to welcome Diana Rodríguez to our team. Her dedication and expertise in gender and diversity issues will be invaluable to the IDB, as we further our efforts in these crucial areas," said President Goldfajn.

Rodríguez Franco will advise the president and senior Bank executives, and will be responsible for enhancing coordination and fostering synergies within the IDB Group on gender and diversity issues. She will seek to elevate these topics in the IDB Group's strategic agenda, as well as with external partners, to achieve greater impact.

A dual citizen of the United States and Colombia, Rodríguez Franco has nearly 20 years of experience working on gender equality and human rights. She has combined a strong academic background in sociology, law and economics with practical experience to advance women’s rights and social justice initiatives in governmental and non-governmental contexts in Latin America.

As the former secretary for women's affairs in Bogotá, Rodríguez Franco created and implemented innovative, internationally recognized public policies to address the unpaid care burden (through “Care Blocks,” or Manzanas del Cuidado in Spanish), close gaps in employment opportunities and respond to gender-based violence. She also worked to mainstream a gender perspective across government and partnered with private-sector stakeholders.

Rodríguez Franco previously served as the deputy director of Dejusticia, a non-profit legal organization that promotes human rights and the social rule of law in Colombia and Latin America, overseeing the divisions of economic justice, environmental justice and international human rights.

She holds a doctorate and master’s degree in sociology from Northwestern University and a law (Juris Doctor) and economics degree from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá. She is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on the Future of the Care Economy and is a member of Room 5 on Gender Equality, part of the 17 Rooms Initiative of the Brookings Institution and The Rockefeller Foundation.