And the Special Envoy is passionate about using her office to protect women and children. She told us today she's not afraid of calling out perpetrators when necessary. But her office has been notably silent on numerous issues arising from violence against women and children. We asked her about that:
Rossana Briceño, Special Envoy for Families and Children
"I have a voice and if I don't use my voice for advocacy then it makes no sense and I thought about it over and over and I'm very careful when I ruffle feathers because it can go any way and people take it any way, it's damned if you do and damned if you don't. But if you don't say, it's something that people say well she's just there. When I do say and when I do ruffle feathers it's because I think it's important and I feel that people need to know that they will be called out, people need to know that you are being watched that they need to do what they are supposed to be doing. And I'm not afraid to use my voice for that if it will save a child, if it will save a woman, if it will save a journalist. Give her her place and then I have to do that. When I'm not here anymore, it's up to whoever else but in the meantime I will continue to ruffle feathers."
Courtney Menzies, Reporter
"What would you say to the criticism though that your office is silent on certain cases like when we saw an uptick in violence against women, that month we had all those femicides, we have violence against children and not even a press release from your office?"
Rossana Briceño
"You know what, I can't be hollering and screaming all the time. You have to pick your battles and when the Ministry of Human Development or the Women's Commission sends out a release, we're all a part of that. I decide in my office when I feel it's not being heard or it's just too much of a technical release that something more needs to be said in consultation I send out a release, but I can't be sending out releases just to send out releases because they become very meaningless and it has to be impactful."
