Banco BHD León celebrated the third annual Premio Mujeres que Cambian el Mundo (Women Who Change the World Awards) on June 27, recognizing women in the Dominican Republic who are having a transformative effect on society. Ten finalists were acknowledged for their efforts to better the country, with three selected as winners.
This year’s first place winner was María Marciano, a Catholic missionary whose work has benefited 66 thousand low-income people in vulnerable communities in San Juan de la Maguana and the border region with Haiti. Her efforts have helped to eradicate child labor; implement educational and vocational training programs; implement initiatives to protect watersheds, rivers and forests; provide housing to more than 200 families living in extreme poverty; and construct 43 aqueducts. She was given the Dominican Republic Order of Merit of Duarte, Sanchez and Mella in the degree of Officer for her outstanding community work, and as first-place winner of El Premio Mujeres que Cambian el Mundo received RD$1 million (about US$21,000).
The two second-place winners recognized were Kathleen Martínez – the first Latin American woman to obtain a license for archaeological excavations in search of the tomb of Cleopatra in Egypt, where she discovered more than 600 objects, 96 of which belonged to Cleopatra herself – and Juana Ferrer – who has worked to achieve gender equity in communities with high levels of poverty in Espaillat, Santiago, Monte Plata, Elías Piña, Peravia, San Cristóbal and San Juan de la Maguana, with her efforts benefiting more than 158,000 people. Both were awarded RD$500,000 (about US$10,500).
The seven other finalists of the third Premio Mujeres que Cambian el Mundo were Cristina Francisco, Eugenia Beltrán, Ivonne García, María Crisálida Díaz, Olga Noboa, Práxedes Roa (Virtudes) and Silvia Pichardo, who received RD$100,000 (about US$2,100) each.
Vice-President of the Dominican Republic Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, who gave the keynote address at last month’s GBA All-Stars Academy in the Dominican Republic, attended the ceremony, along with other state authorities and representatives of international organizations, business associations, academic institutions and civil society.
To learn more about the awards, visit the Premio Mujeres que Cambian el Mundo website.
