Día Internacional de la Mujer—A thank you to the women in my life

Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day (or, as we call it down here, el Día Internacional de la Mujer). This year I find myself in a country whose machismo sometimes gets too ahrd to bear, but in working for CONAMU, the government body responsible for making sure women are equitably treated in laws and policies, I am lucky enough to see a different side of what it means to be an Ecuadorian woman. Ecuador, no matter how small and unstable it might be, was the first Latin American country to give women the vote.

So as we marched this morning through the city in our “Igualdad Ahora” (“Equality Now”) shirts and shouting “Por los derechos de las mujeres—IGUALDAD AHORA!” (“For the rights of women—equality now!”) and other various chants, I knew I wasn’t just there because I work in CONAMU. I wasn’t just there because I’ve learned in classes about strong American women in history. I was there because of the women in my life—my family, friends, coworkers, and professors—who have taught me to be a strong (and, more importantly, proud) woman.

It’s hard to think of an important woman in my life who is not strong. I am extraordinarily lucky to have these women in my life. They do not only lead by their example of being hard-working, passionate, loving, and proud, but also because they have been with me every step of the way, reassuring me and encouraging me to be a strong, independent woman as well.

I obviously don’t have the time (nor the space) to write about every woman in my life, but I think it’s important to celebrate my grandmothers, my mom, and my sister especially, because they’ve been there from day #1.

Bumpa (my dad’s mom)—To say that she is a strong woman is an understatement. She raised seven boys basically on her own. They also weren’t exactly angels—we Ruscas are notorious in that way, I suppose. The amount of sacrifice and love that comes from her is absolutely mind-blowing, and I can’t imagine our family without her calm, reassuring presence as its matriarch.

Vovo (my mom’s mom)—At 92 (and still kicking), Vovo’s perseverance and strength blows my mind every day. What she endured in Portugal, between poverty and losing some of her eleven children at extraordinarily young ages, I can only imagine. Once she came to the U.S., she canned peaches and made ends meet in an entirely different country and culture, where she didn’t have the time to learn the language. She’s persevered through the early loss of her own children and her husband and hasn’t seen some of her sisters in decades. But she still smiles and laughs and insists that we let her walk to church. She’s one tough cookie.

Mom—I can’t imagine what it would be like to come to the U.S. at around age 3, set to grow up “different” in a country where we unfortunately are not always so tolerant. The youngest of 11, my mom grew up living with her grandparents, only able to see her parents at most once a week usually. On top of that, she lost her brother (and one of her best friends) Val to an untimely disease, as well as her father before she got married. But she has always been an example of what it means to work hard. What’s most impressive is that through it all, she has never been anything less than an incredible mother, and has always made sure she makes it to our soccer games and dance recitals even when she’s getting her work done.

Chloe—My sister and I might still fight about stupid things (though a LOT less than when we were kids), but there has never been a time in my life during which I have not looked up to and admired her. She works her butt off, even when she’s working multiple jobs, but she never forgets the people in her life, either. She is an example of generosity and compassion that anyone who meets her can’t help but notice. She’s coming to Cal for grad school (on a basically full-ride scholarship!) precisely because of her hard work and big heart, and I’ve got some big footsteps to follow.

I would like to commemorate these women in my life, and all strong women who struggle everyday and inspire us all. I am grateful for the sacrifices these women have made so that I may be writing from Quito, Ecuador, today. Thank you for always being there, for being amazing examples of what it means to be a proud woman, and for giving me the strength to pursue my dreams.

¡QUÉ VIVAN LAS MUJERES!