Meet Adriana Benitez, one of our many Scholars who are taking action today to change our world for the better.
Name: Adriana Benitez
Home Country: Bolivia
Social Issues that you are passionate about: Gender Equality, Civic Engagement, and Education
Adriana is participating in Atlas Corps’ Virtual Leadership Institute (VLI) from Bolivia, where she is a rising leader in development projects and gender equality. Adriana joins VLI as part of a partnership with Ciudad Mundo that is working to equip Bolivian social impact professionals with leadership skills and strengthen ties between the United States and Bolivia toward economic development and inclusive prosperity in Bolivia.
Today, Adriana shares what she looks forward to during the Virtual Leadership Institute and how she plans to inspire positive change.
Can you share three words that describe leadership to you?
1. Empathy
2. Resilience
3. Commitment
What is your favorite part about the Virtual Leadership Institute so far?
I am passionate about learning about other cultures and traditions around the world. That’s why my favorite part of the Virtual Leadership Institute is being able to meet people who come from different realities than mine, and learn from them and their vision of the world.
Tell us about the Leadership Project that you are developing as part of VLI.
The Virtual Leadership Institute is helping me [learn] a multidisciplinary approach to start an empowerment program for girls and adolescents between 8 and 18 years old. I want to focus on leadership with an intersectional feminist perspective [to] prevent gender-based violence and [create] employment opportunities and entrepreneurship with a gendered approach.
It is important to understand that when we talk about “gender inequality,” we are talking about a structural problem, which includes political, social, economic and cultural issues. For this reason, to bet on the empowerment of women means betting on reducing the gaps that still limit their full development in all these areas. In addition, it also helps to lay the foundations so that new generations of girls and young women can learn about a less violent and fairer reality for themselves and their peers.
Thank you, Adriana, for sharing your leadership journey with us. We wish you and your fellow Cohort the best of luck in the program!