Melissa Lacasa Pagani, candidate for the Chamber of Deputies for the “Republican Force” movement (ANR), list 3, option 5. She is the only woman on the list and at the same time the youngest candidate.
Who is Melissa Lacasa?
She is a young woman like many others who has dreams of working, fulfilling herself, of living and growing up in a Paraguay of opportunities for all. I studied at the Catholic University, I received a degree in business administration. I also always participated in unionism. From a very young age I was part of the student center of my faculty (Accounting, administrative and economic sciences), starting as a member, then I was director and finally in 2018 I was elected as president of the student center. We fought two movements, mine won, there was a participation of 1,500 students that year. I always worked in the private sector and recently I ventured into the public sector where I held various leadership and management positions. I won the revelation award at work, representing youth in the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
Why did you decide to enter politics?
I am a common young woman who likes to enjoy my free time. Hanging out with friends, reading books, playing sports. Today, I am venturing into party politics for the first time because I feel that women have conquered many spaces in the workplace, but I feel that they still need to be conquered in political life. I feel it is time for more empowered women to get involved in politics. That it is not so difficult to apply for something as a woman. My goal is to reduce that gap that exists and that it can be an inspiration so that other trained and prepared women also realize that they can enter politics.
What can you tell us about your way of being?
I am a believer, I believe in God, in the family, I believe in people above all things. I consider myself a pretty nice person because I laugh all the time. I am a good colleague, I like to work in a team. One of the phrases that I used a lot in college is that; “One alone can shine but as a team he always shines”. I believe that things alone don’t work but they do as a team. I am very familiar, I really like to share with my brothers, with my mom, with my dad, with my whole family. And I also like to share with friends. I consider myself a fairly self-critical person who seeks to improve, who is always open to receiving opinions, criticism, because that helps me build a better character. I consider myself a very committed person. Whenever I make a commitment I give my all and whatever the results, I am always satisfied because I know I gave my best.
Why do you want to be a deputy?
I want to be a deputy because I believe that we are at a time when technicians and politicians must get involved in our government to achieve changes in the country. There is a reality that people who are only technical and prepared always have the solutions to the problems that may be faced. The politician is the one who knows the feelings of the people, the one who has true empathy with the people. I consider myself a young, technical, political and prepared woman. I hope to continue training. I want to get to Congress to promote laws that help citizens with what the people really need. And not just to have a rating in the media or generate benefits for a single sector, I really seek to benefit the citizens who so much need leaders who work for the people.
Can you tell us about your experiences in government missions?
I went to two government missions, one in Colombia that sought to empower women in non-traditional trades. That is to say, education, through the use of heavy machinery such as loaders, motor graders, agricultural tractors, among others, so that women can learn to drive these tractors and can have better paid remuneration so that they can be the head of a family of their homes. This project was called “mobile classrooms”. Also in 2021, I went to Madrid, for a government mission in Spain with the aim of learning how to insert the blind here in Paraguay, post-pandemic, into the world of work. We work with the ONCE Foundation (FOAL) for Latin America. We went to visit and meet and train ourselves to see how these people could enter work spaces. Encourage public and private spaces so that these people have work spaces.
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DATA SHEET
Full name: Meli Lacasa Pagani.
Place of birth: Assumption.
Date of Birth: 05/29/1995 (27 years old).
Place of studies: Cristo Rey School and the Salesianito School, both in Asunción. She has a degree in Business Administration from the Catholic University of Asunción (UC).
Family: Single.
Positions held in the public function: Head of Mobile Classrooms and Simulators at the SNPP (2019 – 2020). Head of Student Services SNPP (2020 – 2021). Director of Labor Intermediation in the Vice Ministry of Employment and Social Security (2021 – 2022). She is currently Technical – Administrative.
Hobbies: Reading books, dancing, hanging out with friends, going to the gym, listening to music, traveling.
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