Latinas In Leadership

Rather than focusing on Latinas in pop culture that doing good work (Selena Gomez, Eva Longoria and Sofia Vergara, to name a few) we should really start keeping up-to-date with all of the Latinas that are doing good things from a political standpoint. After having read an article in the New York Times the other day, it was very interesting to me that Latin America was so progressive when it came to the amount of female presidents in power in other countries. For example, the first female president in Latin America who was directly elected was Michelle Bachelet of Chile, who is now the head of UN Women. Latin America has the first female president? Before the United States? What’s going on? It’s seems like such a curious thing coming from a culture that is so machista.

In Argentina, there’s Cristina Fernandez Kirchner who’s started her second term as president. In Brazil, there’s Dilma Rousseff and Laura Chinchila in Costa Rica, both first time presidents. But what about the U.S? Hilary Clinton did try but couldn't. What happened? Why couldn’t she get the nomination? Is the U.S. not ready for a female president? Are we not as evolved as Latin America in that we are ready to see women equal to men. I ask myself these questions all the time. What’s going on there and why isn’t it happening here? These next elections are set. It’s Obama vs. Romney. But it’s not too early to start thinking about the next elections. So much can happen in four years. Maybe what the U.S. is really in need of is a Latina candidate. I think that sounds about right. It would definitely make sense with this new wave of female leaders just south of us. Any Latinas that want to become the president of the United States? I think it’s your time!