The First Lady of Argentina, Juliana Awada, had lunch this Friday with 12 women, either partners or companions of the leaders who are attending the G20 summit in Villa Ocampo, the
former home of writer Victoria Ocampo, which is located in the San Isidro district.
A picture of the G20 Leaders companions in Villa Ocampo. / EFE
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Before taking a family photo at the residence located in Beccar, where the UNESCO Observatory operates, the First ladies talked about issues related to gender equality.
All those companions who were scheduled to appear were there, except Angela Merkel’s husband, who could not arrive due to the inconvenience of the flight, that forced the couple to postpone their arrival in Buenos Aires.
French First Lady Brigitte Macron, in Villa Ocampo. / EFE
The first ladies arrived at the house in San Isidro on time. The normal calm rhythm of the neighborhood was altered because of the meeting. For the official picture, the women were flanked by the “granaderos” (the historical presidential escort). Awada greeted each of them, and gave them a small reception in the garden, in which she invited them to feel at home.
Juliana Awada, First Lady of Argentina, in Villa Ocampo. / EFE
The string quartet La rueda de la Luna (The Moon’s Wheel), which is made up of women, sounded in the background as the leaders’ companions arrived and settled into a living room at the entrance to the mansion. Melania Trump, the wife of United States President Donald Trump, was the last one to walk through the door.
Before lunch, Macri’s wife told them the story of Victoria Ocampo, a pioneer in the fight for gender equality. From there, she spoke of the importance of equal opportunities between women and men, and also of equality of cultures: she recalled that intellectuals and figures from all over the world had passed through the house in San Isidro.
US First lady Melania Trump arrives at Villa Ocampo in San Isidro, Buenos Aires province to meet Argentina’s First Lady Juliana Awada on November 30, 2018, in the sidelines of the G20 Summit. / AFP
Before sitting at the table, renowned chef Francis Mallmann explained what he had prepared for lunch: “humita” (a corn based-dish), from the North, a salad of spider crabs from the South, and hake; for dessert, flan and pancakes with cream caramel (dulce de leche), all accompanied by wine.
The women’s group consisted of Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron; Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan; Canadian First Lady Sophie Grégoire Trudeau; Japanese First Lady Akie Abe; Mufidah Jusuf Kalla (Indonesia); Kim Jung-sook (South Korea); Emine Erdogan (Turkey) and Ho Ching (Singapore), as well as Melania Trump.
US First lady Melania Trump (R) is received by Argentina’s First Lady Juliana Awada at Villa Ocampo in San Isidro, Buenos Aires province on November 30, 2018, in the sidelines of the G20 Summit. (Photo by ERIKA VILLANO / AFP)
Also present were Malgorzata Tusk (Council of Europe); María Gabriela Sigala (Inter-American Development Bank) and Diana Carney (Financial Stability Board).