11 Latinas on the Global List of the Most Inspiring and Influential
2020 has been a year of many challenges. Most would say that it has had more lows than highs. But if this situation has served one thing, it is to highlight the crucial roles of women in the world.
The Woman Post | Mónica Liliana Pradilla
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This year the list includes, a first symbolical place as a tribute to the "countless" women who "have made sacrifices to help others" in an "extraordinary year", Sarah Gilbert lead researcher for the COVID-19 vaccine at the University of Oxford, and many others including 11 Latina women.
Currently, the region does not have many women in positions of power, but that has not meant that women do not represent a significant influence in the area, within their communities, and on a larger scale. These are the 11 representatives from Latin America.
Claudia López
Is the first woman to reach the mayorship of Bogotá, the second most important political position in Colombia. López was the recipient of a Fullbright Fellowship and is a doctoral graduate from North Western University. She took office in January of this year. So far her administration faced harsh criticism for the poor management and response by the district government to the crisis and mainly the police abuses that occurred before the health emergency and continued throughout the quarantine with a distinctive focus on the trans community and the informal vendors. The president's message to the BBC was "I say to the women of the world: do not stop. The social revolution that began last century will not stop".
Nemonte Nenquimo
Ecuadorian indigenous leader She is co-founder of the non-profit indigenous organization Ceibo Alliance and is also part of the 100 most influential people in the world of Time magazine. She is part of the Waorani ethnic group, in her own words, she is an indigenous person "committed to defending her ancestral territory, culture, and way of life in the Amazon rainforest."
Lea T
She is a Brazilian transgender model. Her first job was for Givenchy, and in 2016 she was the first openly transgender person to participate in an Olympic Games opening ceremony. She is recognized as "an icon of pop culture" and one of the most influential trans activists in the region. She is mostly known for her work against discrimination against the LGBT community.
Evelina Cabrera
Argentina and soccer coach stands out in a traditionally macho field. She was the founder of the Argentine Association of Women's Soccer at the age of 27, and her work as a coach has a marked social profile focused on helping "vulnerable women and girls through sports and education."
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Carolina Castro
Another Argentine on the list, she is the first woman to reach a managerial position in the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) in its 130-year history. She was the only woman present on stage with Alberto Fernández at the independence day ceremony this year. She is the director of Industrias Guidi, an auto parts company supplying Toyota and General Motors in Argentina, and also served as undersecretary of small and medium-sized companies in the Ministry of Production during the Macri administration. According to the BBC, Castro "has contributed to promoting the gender equality agenda in all political parties in a country where public debate is highly polarized."
Arussi Unda
In Mexico, it is the community leaders and feminists who take the titles. In 2019, 1,012 femicides occurred in the country, the highest figure since there are records. It is no surprise that Unda and her feminist collective "Brujas del Mar" ranked for the list, who on March 9 led a national strike, during which women left their jobs and activities for the day in protest.
Susana Raffalli
She is Venezuelan and has been working on various humanitarian initiatives for 22 years. Among them is her work with Cáritas Venezuela to develop a tool that would make evident the impact that the humanitarian crisis had on children when the world did not yet recognize it.
Wendy Beatriz Caishpal Jaco
Salvadoran entrepreneur and activist are on the list thanks to her work with projects such as Ahuachapán Sin Barreras, of which she is founder and director, in which she is a spokesperson for the rights of people with disabilities and armed conflict survivors.
Ana Tijoux
Is a Franco Chilean hip-hop artist. Feminist and activist in her lyrics she denounces the social and cultural deficiencies of her country and the region. Her 2014 album Antipatriarca particularly highlighted her position in favor of women's rights and against gender violence in her 2014 album Antipatriarca. She has worked in various countries in Latin America, Europe, and the United States. And she has earned the classification by multiple means as the "best and best-known rapper in Spanish." She has been nominated several times for the Grammy Awards. "2020 has exposed the fragility of our economic system and, to confront it, we rely on the strength of our network of relationships," she says.
Cibele Racy
Brazilian was a school principal until she retired. Her work as a pioneer in the teaching of racial equality in the primary schools of Sao Paulo is recognized. "She reviewed all the management processes of her school to make the work environment more inclusive for the staff, regardless of their race, gender or position," she tells the BBC.
Ruth Shady
Peruvian and Vice Dean of Research at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the National University of San Marcos. She is also the director of multidisciplinary research for the Caral archaeological site, which is considered the oldest civilization in America. Shady already has other distinctions such as the national L'Oréal-Unesco award for women scientists in 2018.
These women demonstrate the growing role they have been assuming in various sectors, making female talent visible in the Latin American region.
