In The Community
The world has seen countless inspiring women rise to fight for justice and equality, particularly for marginalized and oppressed communities. Their tireless advocacy has brought much-needed attention to issues such as women's and Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and preserving Indigenous knowledge and culture.
Despite their challenges and obstacles, these Latin American Indigenous women serve as powerful role models and reminders of the transformative potential of grassroots activism. Let’s take a closer look at their extraordinary lives and legacies:Comandanta Ramona
Photo by bastian (Heriberto Rodriguez) on Wikimedia Commons
Comandanta Ramona, born in 1959 in a Tzotzil Maya community in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, was a founding member of the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN), based in the same region. She served as a spokesperson for the group and came to represent the Indigenous resistance movement.
But Ramona's impact extended far beyond her leadership role within the EZLN. As a woman in a male-dominated organization, she challenged gender norms and fought tirelessly for gender equality. She spoke out against gender-based violence and worked to empower women in Indigenous communities, advocating for their participation in decision-making processes and establishing women's cooperatives.
Ramona's contributions to the Zapatista movement were groundbreaking. She helped establish the Revolutionary Law of Women, recognizing women's contributions to the struggle for Indigenous rights and granting them equal rights. She paved the way for women's leadership within the movement through her efforts.
Ramona's legacy as a feminist and Indigenous leader continues to inspire activists and social justice movements worldwide. Although she passed away in 2006 after battling cancer, her spirit lives on in the struggle against oppression, injustice, and discrimination.Rigoberta Menchú
Photo by Carlos Rodriguez on Wikimedia Commons
Rigoberta Menchú, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate and K'iche' Maya woman from Guatemala, has dedicated her life to advocating for women's and Indigenous rights. Growing up in a family of Indigenous peasants, Menchú experienced firsthand the discrimination and poverty that Indigenous communities face.
Menchú became involved in social justice movements at a young age and joined the Committee of Peasant Unity. This group fought for land rights and the empowerment of Indigenous communities. During Guatemala's civil war, she spoke out against government-sanctioned violence and human rights abuses, becoming a prominent voice for Indigenous women's rights.
Menchú's groundbreaking book "I, Rigoberta Menchú," published in 1983, chronicled her experiences growing up as an Indigenous woman in Guatemala and the struggles faced by her community. The book became an international bestseller, spotlighting Indigenous issues and women's rights in Latin America.
Menchú's advocacy and activism earned her numerous accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. But her work is far from over. She continues to fight for the rights of Indigenous people and women, advocating for issues such as access to healthcare and education, and raising awareness about domestic violence and sexual assault.Lolita Chávez Ixcaquic
Photo by Paula López Reig on Wikimedia Commons
Lolita Chávez Ixcaquic, a K'iche' Maya woman from Guatemala, is a prominent voice in the global fight for environmental and Indigenous rights, defending their land and natural resources against exploitation and destruction.
But her activism has not come without challenges. As a woman in a patriarchal society, Chávez Ixcaquic has faced discrimination, violence, and even death threats for her tireless efforts to promote justice and equality.
But despite these challenges, she has worked to raise awareness about Indigenous women's obstacles, including gender-based violence, discrimination, and lack of access to healthcare and education. She was a finalist for the prestigious Sakharov Human Rights Prize and was awarded the Romero Human Rights Award for her environmental and Indigenous rights activism.
Chávez Ixcaquic's leadership has been crucial in promoting greater participation of women in decision-making processes and leadership positions within Indigenous communities. She has served as a mentor and role model for young Indigenous women, inspiring them to become activists and advocates for their communities.
Guadalupe Vázquez Luna
Photo by koman ilel on Wikimedia Commons
Guadalupe Vázquez Luna is a Mexican activist, artisan, and councilwoman who represents the Tzotzil people in the National Indigenous Congress and is a survivor of the Acteal massacre.
Despite the devastating impact of losing her parents and five siblings in the Acteal massacre, Guadalupe persevered with tenacity and determination. Despite the rampant machismo in her community trying to hold her back, she completed her elementary and secondary education.
Her activism aims to achieve justice for her people, fight against so-called "death projects," and bring attention to the region's problems. On International Women's Day 2018, Vázquez Luna led a group of women from Las Abejas in a protest against the military presence in their communities. She confronted soldiers at the military barracks in Majomut, Chenalho, with a powerful message of unity and respect.
Vázquez Luna's story and that of Las Abejas de Acteal are told in the documentary "Lupita. Que retiemble la tierra," directed by Mónica Wise and Eduardo Gutiérrez Wise in 2019, provides insight into different facets of her life, such as being a mother, a fearless activist, an orator, and a leader.
Berta Cáceres
Photo by UN Environment on Wikimedia Commons
Berta Cáceres was a Honduran environmental and Indigenous rights activist who fought for the rights of women and Indigenous communities in Honduras.
As a member of the Lenca Indigenous community, Cáceres was a prominent leader in the struggle against large-scale development projects that threatened Indigenous lands and resources. She founded the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras (COPINH), a grassroots organization that advocated for Indigenous rights and environmental justice.
She advocated for the inclusion of women in leadership positions within Indigenous communities and called for greater participation of women in decision-making processes. Cáceres also supported the creation of women's cooperatives and other initiatives to empower women and promote economic development in Indigenous communities.
In 2016, unknown gunmen assassinated Cáceres in her home, sparking international outrage. Her death was widely seen as a result of her activism and the threats she faced for her work defending Indigenous and environmental rights.
Despite her tragic death, Cáceres continues to inspire activists and Indigenous communities worldwide to fight for justice, equality, and the protection of their lands and resources.
Leydy Pech
An Indigenous Mayan beekeeper born and raised in the city of Hopelchén in Campeche, Mexico, Leydy Pech has become a leading voice in the global fight for environmental and Indigenous rights. Her tireless advocacy has brought much-needed attention to the importance of protecting the environment and the rights of Indigenous communities, especially women.
Pech led a coalition that successfully stopped Monsanto, an American agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology company, from planting genetically modified (GM) soybeans in southern Mexico. In November 2015, Mexico's Supreme Court ruled that the government violated the constitutional rights of the Mayan people by not consulting them, canceling Monsanto's permits, and stopping GM soybean planting in Campeche and Yucatán.
Thanks to Pech’s organizing, in 2017, Mexico’s Food and Agricultural Service revoked Monsanto’s permit in seven states, marking a historic move by the government to protect indigenous communities and the environment from GM crops. Pech's leadership has been instrumental in promoting the rights of Indigenous communities to control their own resources and determine their own development. She has been a fierce opponent of large-scale agro-industrial projects that threaten Indigenous lands and resources, such as the use of genetically modified crops.
But Pech's activism goes beyond environmental concerns. She has also been a vocal advocate for women's rights within Indigenous communities, raising awareness about the challenges faced by Indigenous women, including gender-based violence and discrimination. As a beekeeper, Pech has also strongly advocated for the conservation of bees and other pollinators, which play a crucial role in sustaining biodiversity and agriculture.
The work of these six Latin American Indigenous women activists highlights the ongoing struggles and achievements of their communities, and their stories are a reminder of the power of grassroots activism and the importance of continuing to support efforts that uplift marginalized voices.
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The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.
In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.
Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.
The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.
For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.
A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.
In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.
In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.
Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.
Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).
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Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.
Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.
Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.
"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.
For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.
When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”
This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.
The Road to the Boardroom
Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.
Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.
“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.
According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.
“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.
This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.
The Path for Latinas
For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.
When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.
As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.
With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”
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