Eight women take on sexism in the Americas
The struggle of Latin American women is more urgent than ever in the face of setbacks across the continent. These eight women are at the forefront of the resistance: defending their threatened rights and fighting for those they have yet to secure
The Americas approached International Women’s Day on March 8 with a sense of urgency. On Saturday, thousands of women took to the streets to demand their right to live free from violence, to be free from discrimination, to have control over their own bodies, and to close the gaps of poverty and inequality.
EL PAÍS shares the stories of eight inspiring women who call on us not only to defend the present rights, but also the future of girls and adolescents across the region. They are facing a rising reactionary wave that aims to roll them back. The right to abortion, the classification of femicide, and policies for equality are once again under threat.
The advancement of women’s rights in the Americas has been shaped by decades of struggle and perseverance by activists, feminists, community leaders, judges, lawyers, doctors, politicians, and journalists. Today’s reality demands their participation in a resistance movement that cannot be understood in isolation but as a united force. In the face of sexism in the Americas, their response is to build feminist networks that fight for equality.
Horrara Moreira, Brazil
As a counterpoint to a dystopian future, this lawyer, who exposes the biases in artificial intelligence, emphasizes the importance of focusing on the small, meaningful aspects of life—those that cannot be monetized or reduced to data.
SEE PROFILEBamby Salcedo, United States
The Mexican-born activist, who founded an NGO in defense of trans people, is confident in the power of the community in the face of the challenges of the Trump administration: “Even if they kill us, they cannot extinguish us. We are part of humanity."
SEE PROFILEOlga Cantillo, Panama
The first female president of the Latin American Stock Exchange advocates for quotas as a tool to accelerate change and integrate women into decision-making, but also urges companies to take on their responsibilities “out of conviction, not just for regulatory compliance.”
SEE PROFILEGabriela Salas, Mexico
The Indigenous scientist who introduced Nahuatl, a language spoken by 1.6 million people in Mexico, into Google Translate, is a passionate advocate for knowledge and equal access to education. She believes: “It is important for girls to study in order to be freer.”
SEE PROFILEKatherine Jaramillo, Colombia
The teacher and activist, who combats the sexual exploitation of girls and adolescents, warns that this crime has become more visible in Colombia since the pandemic. To fight it, she argues, “the first step is to stop normalizing it.”
Dannya Bravo, Ecuador
At 13, she is one of nine Amazonian girls who won a lawsuit against the Ecuadorian state to stop gas flaring in the world's largest rainforest. However, her fight continues as the ruling has yet to be enforced.
Eva Barrionuevo, Argentina
The doctor, who works on the front lines defending the right to abortion, describes how misinformation, shortages of medication, and the intimidation of healthcare professionals have intensified under the Milei government: "We know this right is not guaranteed forever, and we will continue to fight for it.”
Francisca Jünemann, Chile
The president of Fundación ChileMujeres has been fighting for labor equality for decades: “The best investment a country can make is to pass a strong childcare law,” she says.
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