Carmen Delgado Votaw has been a prominent leader of organizations for the advancement of women during her 40-year career. She served as Co-Chair of the National Advisory Committee for Women, was a member of the Executive Committee of the U.S. International Commission on Women (IWY) and is also a former President of the Inter American Commission of Women of the Organization of American States. Her nongovernmental leadership extends from service as National President of the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women to President of the Pan American Liaison Committee of Women’s Organizations (PALCO). She attended all the United Nations Conferences on Women held from 1975 to 2005 as well as many other international fora and development conferences.
A lifetime advocate for civil and human rights and the advancement of women, she led the government relations operations of the Girl Scouts of the USA, United Way of America and the Alliance for Children and Families after having served as the first Hispanic woman chief of staff for a Member of Congress in the House of Representatives of the United States. A worldwide traveler and lecturer, she has visited nearly 70 countries of the world.