Top 10 Most Inspiring Colombian Women

Photo by Jorge Gardner on Unsplash

Top 10 Most Inspiring Colombian Women

Colombia is a country in South America and is amongst two South American countries bordering the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The geography is distinct, with five zones that differ from each other. The country is known for its rich volcanic soil, pleasant weather conditions, refutably the best coffee in the world, diverse time-tested culture, and a home for significant people ranging from businessmen, political leaders, sports personalities, musicians, fashion moguls among others who have immensely contributed to the growth of Columbia and represented the country in the global village. Whereas tales of Columbia are narrated in cognizance of men, women have played important roles since the famous wars of the Colombian revolution.

Here are the most inspiring women in Colombia:

1. Shakira

Shakira on stage. Image by Serenity – Wikimedia

Born in Barranquilla on 2 Feb 1977, Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll, of Lebanese and European descent, is called the “Queen of Latin Music.” She started by writing poems at a tender age, and by the age of 13, she rose to fame with Hispanic music before venturing into English music. She is a good belly dancer and is regarded as the top-selling female Latin artist. Shakira has won various awards and accolades, including six Guinness World Records and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. Her music video for “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” which features Shakira, a group of dancers, and appearances by famous and legendary footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, is popular on YouTube with more than 3.2 billion views on August 2022, making it the 28th-most-watched video of all time on the site. The song was performed live at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. She is also the founder of the Pies Descalzos (Bare Feet) Foundation, and continued involvement in global issues saw her named the Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF.

2. Lucía Ramírez

Colombian Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez. Image by (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) – Wikimedia

Marta Lucía Ramírez Blanco was born on 4 July 1954. She is a renowned lawyer and the first female Vice President of Colombia who served from 2018 to 2022. Before her election, she served in various political capacities, including the Minister of National Defence. During her tenure as the Minister of Foreign Trade, she was rated the best minister in several polls. Her design and implementation of a 10-year Strategic Plan for exports, competitiveness, and entrepreneurship policy for Colombia improved the GDP of Colombia exponentially, making it her most extraordinary achievement in life. She married Ramírez, left office on 7 August 2022, and was succeeded as vice president by Francia Márquez. She is married to Alvaro Rincon.

​3. Francia Márquez

Francia Marquez Mina, Colombian politician. Image by Berriatb – Wikimedia

Francia Elena Márquez Mina is an Afro-Colombian and the current Vice President of Colombia. Born on 1 December 1981, she has been at the forefront of activism on environmental conservation. Her relentless efforts, determination, and unquenched fiery ex-environmental crusades exposed her to numerous death threats forcing her to flee her home and even survive an assassination attempt. She once led a 10-day, 350-mile march of 80 women from the Amazon to Bogotá, forcing the government to take affirmative action against illegal gold-mining cartels. She was awarded the prestigious Goldman award for her quest for environmental preservation. Her election as the 13^th vice president is regarded as having thrilled progressives and civil rights activists across the region as well as fellow Afro – Colombians who form a meager 10% of Colombia’s population. She is also a law student and mother of two.

4. Amelia Toro

Amelia Toro is a Colombian designer whose exemplary work has been featured in New York Fashion Week and has awed many. Her handcrafted work displays sophistication & strength in femininity and is considered to contribute highly to the well-being of single and employed mothers form the majority of her employees, giving them a chance to earn means of livelihood She was awarded the 2001 United Nations Women Together Prize “for valuing and combining ancestral wealth in her designs.”

5. Caterina Ibarguen

Women Triple Jump. Image by Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom – Wikimedia

Caterina Ibarguen is a Colombian athlete who beat all odds in the triple jump category. Though retired, she excelled in the field that bagged an Olympic medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Born on 12 February 1984, she was considered Colombia’s most successful athlete who rose from the war-torn Apartado Antioquia in the Uraba region to the top tier of athletes and was even named the World Athlete of the Year by the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) alongside the Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge who was named the best male athlete of the year in 2016. The IAAF also called the athlete “the Queen of jumps” on Facebook after she remained unbeaten in the triple jump over eight championships.

6. Sofía Vergara

Sofia Vergara at Golden Globes Red Carpet 2020. Image by Cosmopolitan UK – Wikimedia

Sofía Margarita Vergara is a Colombian – American actress, model, and businesswoman born on 10 July 1972. She is one of the judges on America’s Got Talent from 2020. Vergara studied dentistry for three years in Colombia but dropped her studies to pursue modeling before starting her acting career.  She emigrated to the US after her elder brother was murdered during a failed kidnapping attempt and settled in Miami, Florida. She took up roles in various commercials and rose to prominence while co-hosting television shows in the 90s before she transited to acting in 2003. She appeared in award-winning films, including Madea Goes to Jail (2009), receiving an ALMA Award nomination. In 2009, she began playing Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the Modern Family ABC comedy series. She was nominated for four Golden Globe Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, and eleven Screen Actors Guild Awards. She was ranked the highest-paid Hollywood actress from 2013 to 2020. Vergara is one of the judges on America’s Got Talent from 2020.

7. Angela Becerra

Angela Becerra. Image by Antonio Algara – Wikimedia

Angela Becerra is a famous writer and poet in Latin America and Spain. She was born in Cali, Colombia, in 1957 and currently lives in Barcelona, Spain. She writes a column for the Colombian daily newspaper “ADN.” She first published her poetry “Alma Abierta” in 2001, followed by four novels. Her literary works have won various awards, including the “Latin Literary Award” of the prestigious Chicago Book Fair for her novel “De Los Amores negates” in 2004.

8. Margarita Rosa de Francisco

Margarita Rosa de Francisco. Image by Ministerio de Educación Nacional  –Wikimedia

Born in 1965, Margarita Rosa de Francisco Baquero, commonly known as “La Mancha,” is a famous personality in the showbiz industry of Colombia. She is a multi-talented actress, composer, singer, model, and tv presenter. She started her career as a ballet dancer but was forced to drop her childhood passion after an injury in her vertebral column. She has played various roles in telenovelas and composed and released various pieces of music that have also featured in the telenovelas. She even hosted the Colombian version of the famous reality tv series ‘Survivor.’ Margarita has written for various Colombian newspapers, including a column in the Colombian magazine Cronos. She published her first book, “El Hombre del Telefono” (The Man on the Telephone), in 2016. She was named the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in the year 2000.

9. Ana Veydó

Ana Veydó, Colombian singer and vocalist from Cimarron. Image by Spassalacqua – Wikimedia

Ana Veydó is a songwriter, singer, and dancer specializing in joropo music, a fusion of traditional music associated with Colombian and Venezuelan roots. She co-founded the joropo band Cimarron with a renowned harpist, Carlos Rojas, AKA “Cuco.” Her musical journey began with the production of Colombian folklore songs, which rose her to fame after performing in various world music festivals. She joined and started performing for the Cimarron band in the year 2000. The band has toured many countries, including the USA, Europe, Asia, and UAE. In 2004, Cimarron was nominated for test Traditional World Music Album in the Grammy Awards.

10. Leonor Espinosa

Chef Leonor Espinosa. Image by Camila.garavito.donado – Wikimedia

Leonor Espinosa De La Ossa, nicknamed ‘Leo,’ born on 12 Jan1963, is a Colombian chef specializing in fusing traditional and modern Colombian cuisine. She studied Economics and Fine Arts but later devoted arts skills to research and experimenting, bringing out unique culinary skills, creativity, and passion which have driven her restaurant Leo Cocina y Cava to international standards. The restaurant is a landmark in Colombia and has been featured in various shows and even ranked among the top 100 restaurants worldwide. She is the founder of the Leo Espinosa Foundation aimed at creating and maintaining awareness of the native culinary traditions and food security.