Honduras has had many extraordinary women in its recent history, all of them luminaries, stars with their own glow. The universe of Honduras, following the metaphor, was horribly dark and annihilating for them. They dealt with difficulty throughout history. 

Honduras has had extraordinary women in its history, suffering prophets, street and sidewalk prophets. Prophets of the earth and tears, of water and of pen, prophets with the smell of the people and the color of hope, of laughter and of sweat. Prophets, because they saw clearly this historical moment that we are living today. As always happens, when someone plants a tree, they cannot always enjoy the fruits. They did not do it, they did not see the harvest, because their tears and, in many cases, their blood, watered the root of that tree they dreamed of.. Yet they beheld a generation basking in its shade and eating of its fruits. And that was enough.  

Honduras has had extraordinary women in its history, here a constellation of them. I know I am in debt to many other grand women, but it is impossible to describe everything about them. There are quite a lot. There are many. I apologize. In spite of that, I wish to “name” those whose names and struggles we will never know but not for being without value, in fact, from anonymity they have carved with blood and sweat the small to great paths towards the utopia that will be a new reality. Here is a short and random list of a constellation of stars with their own glow.  

Women like Blanca Jeannette Kawas Fernández, an environmental fighter. Margarita Velásquez Pavón, Juana Pavón or Juana ‘La Loca’, an exquisite poet. Argentina Díaz Lozano, a Honduran novelist and poet, candidate for the Nobel Prize (1970). Elvia Lucila Gamero de Medina, a writer misunderstood for her feminist vision but a warrior for political rights of Honduran women. Elvia Alvarado, a peasant advocate, wrote the book “Don’t Be Afraid, Gringo”, a widely used text at LMI. Berta Isabel Cáceres Flores, who was an indigenous leader and environmentalist. Finally, Visitación Padilla, who I wish to emphasize. She was a teacher and writer from the municipality of Talanga, Francisco Morazán, the first woman to organize a feminist movement, a tireless activist who fought for Honduran women to have participation as citizens. On January 25th, 1954, she was present at the event when President Julio Lozano Díaz allowed females to vote for the first time in the Republic of Honduras.  

Above all, the latter, as the seed of the current Honduran reality. This year’s election was momentous, since in Honduras it will be the first time since its beginning as a nation that a woman will occupy the presidential seat1. Historic. Encouraging. Wanted. Because Honduras is fed up with those who have governed so far. Honduras is in need of a new national configuration. Honduras is looking forward to the ways and means in which a woman will lead the efforts of a country thirsty for leadership that is humane and stable. And a woman can be that kind of leader and more! We can quickly list, without the intention of being exhaustive, six determining characteristics of the female leadership that Honduras hopes to enjoy: Orientation to people. Tendency to cooperate. Ability to act in many directions. Horizontal leadership. Empathy. Greater predisposition to change. All of this is more feasible with a woman leading.   

Honduras has had extraordinary women in its recent history, all of them luminaries, stars with their own glow. But more: Honduras will continue to have extraordinary women, all of them luminaries, stars with their own glow. And we at LMI, are and will be part of the formation of those women, luminaries, who will lead Honduras where we have never imagined, even in our best dreams. So all the women Honduras has had: they are extraordinary, all of them lights, stars with their own glow.