Born: 1923 or 1924 (Tucumán, Argentina)
Died: 2019 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Biography:
Yolanda Ortiz (1923 or 1924, Tucumán – 22 June 2019, Buenos Aires) was an Argentine doctor of chemistry. She was the first Secretary of Natural Resources and Human Environment of Argentina, appointed by then-president Juan Perón in 1973. She was the first woman to hold such a position in Latin America. She was also an advisor to the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of the Nation and of the Federal Council of the Environment (COFEMA). In 2020, Argentina enacted the Law Yolanda comprehensive training environment that requires public officials to be trained in environmental issues and climate change. It was named in tribute to Yolanda Ortiz.
Life and work
Ortiz was born and raised in Tucumán, a province in northern Argentina. After completing her high school education, she moved with her family to Buenos Aires where she pursued a degree in chemistry. Ortiz found a passion for chemistry and its potential to address social and environmental issues. She was particularly interested in addressing the unhealthy working conditions and the detrimental impacts of pollution on both nature and society.
She began her career at the Shell company and later worked at the State Customs Directorate, where she supervised the import and export of products in the country. In the 1960s, Ortiz furthered her studies in toxicology at the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires. During the same decade, she earned a scholarship to study at the Sorbonne in France, where she remained until the end of the 1960s.
In 1973, Juan Perón called on Ortiz to return to Argentina and lead the Secretariat of the Environment of Latin America. Her appointment made her the only woman in an all-male cabinet and the first woman to hold such a position in all of Latin America. Her dedication to environmental issues and her expertise in chemistry made her an invaluable asset in shaping environmental policies and regulations.
However, following Perón’s death and the overthrow of his successor and wife, Ortiz was forced into exile in Venezuela. She spent six years there, working at the Simón Bolívar University. Despite the challenges she faced, Ortiz remained dedicated to her cause and advocated for environmental protection and sustainable development.
After her eventual return to Argentina, at the age of 87, Ortiz founded the Argentine Environmental Center – CAMBIAR, a non-governmental ecological organization. She took on the role of president and continued her advocacy for the environment and the promotion of sustainable practices.
Yolanda Ortiz passed away in Buenos Aires on 22 June 2019 at the age of 94. Her contributions to environmental protection, sustainable development, and the advancement of women in leadership positions have left a lasting impact on Argentina and Latin America as a whole.
Awards:
– In February 2009, the Federal Council for the Environment (COFEMA) paid tribute to Yolanda Ortiz for her remarkable career.
– In May 2015, the R21 Foundation – Sustainable Latin America named her an Honorary Member in recognition of her outstanding work in environmental support and sustainability.