Women With Impact #23 - Rosalía Arteaga Serrano, former President of Ecuador
Welcome back to Women With Impact, a newsletter all about the journeys of ambitious women and how they have a positive impact in our world.
I’m Clara Richter and this is the 23rd edition of Women With Impact. If you enjoy this issue, please share it with a friend and like it above.
For this edition, I interviewed H.E. Rosalía Arteaga Serrano, former President of the Republic of Ecuador. She is the first female President of the country to date and has a long-standing political career, being Vice President and Minister of Education, Culture, and Sports, among other remarkable positions. Rosalía Arteaga Serrano was secretary-general of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization and holds several board positions. Additionally, she oversees Fundación Fidal, enabling quality education and sustainable development projects across Latin America.
Wishing you a pleasant read!
Best,
Clara
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The Journey
Who are you and how do you spend your time?
I am an Ecuadorian woman with various interests. I studied law, journalism, anthropology, and education, and developed myself in all these areas. I have become the first female President and Vice President of Ecuador. I was also the first woman Minister of Education, Culture, and Sports in my country. Currently, I direct Fundación Fidal, which is a foundation dedicated entirely to promoting quality education in Ecuador and Ibero-America.
What does impact mean to you?
Impact is the ability to influence others through the actions one can take or the inspiration one can generate.
How do you make a positive difference in the world?
By paving the way for women in different areas, mainly in politics. I believe that the positive things I am currently doing in the world are in areas that have to do with education, the environment, and promoting women.
The Lessons
How has your journey of making an impact changed you?
Everything we do changes us: family, political and professional life. I think I have gained experiences that I often reflect on in my books. I write literature for children, young people, poetry, and also books for adults. In many of my books, I write about women, their struggles in politics, sciences and beyond, and the urge to act for a more equal society.
What's a challenge you have encountered most often and how did you tackle it?
Convincing people that women have equal capabilities in countries that have been characterised by male chauvinism. I would say this is one of the biggest challenges, which I have experienced during my presidency in 1997. The Ecuadorian President at the time was declared unfit to govern the country, and I as a consequence became President, previously acting as Vice President. However, the National Congress quickly rewrote the constitution, resulting in me having to give up my post. I tackle this challenge of injustice and inequality by sensitising the Ecuadorian population through my books, essays and through the abundant projects we enable with the Fundación Fidal.
What's the biggest lesson you have learned on your journey so far?
Everything is achieved with hard work, determination, with persistence, but it is important to train oneself for every challenge that life proposes to us.
The Inspiration
Who did you recently inspire to create impact? How?
Through the work, we do at Fundación Fidal. Inspiring young people in the Leadership School, a school that we have had in Ecuador for 9 years and that trains young leaders in my country. Also, through the Educational Excellence Contest, we inspire many teachers, and through conferences, which I give in different parts of the world.
What advice would you give to other women who want to have a positive impact?
Be prepared, persistent, and resilient.
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