Sonia Linares is the Woman of the Year

She is a humble woman, but she has worked consistently to bring positive changes to her gender and to young people. Meet Sonia Linares, she has been chosen as the Woman of the Year… a title she was honoured to receive for her more than five decades of service. News Five Delahnie Bain headed to Belmopan today for the ceremony which coincides with Women’s Month.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

The first US Embassy Woman of the year competition ended today with the announcement of the winner. There were ten outstanding finalists but the woman in the spotlight is the General Secretary of the Belize YWCA, Sonia Linares who has devoted more than fifty years to empowering women and youth. Linares was thrilled at receiving the honor and Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally says the selection was no easy task.

Vinai Thummalapally, US Ambassador

“It was not very easy because every single one of the ten finalists who were on our list, we went through their background, their contributions. We had to put a lot of weight on their nominator’s application and information that the nominator had given us, so using that and we used a very sort of objective process to come up with the winner.”

Sonia Linares, Woman of the Year 2010

Sonia Linares

“It’s a wonderful feeling. It’s one that I had never thought of. I usually just believe in doing what I like to do; working with youth and women because I want to help to empower them and help to give them the opportunity to live a better quality of life.”

Linares started out as a teacher, but had to resign for medical reasons. She found something to occupy her time when she started working with the Y, but that soon evolved into a life mission to help others. She says the success stories are what has kept her going all these years.

Sonia Linares

“It’s the impact of what we do at the Y. on any bad day, you can go in and you will see something positive happening. It’s just the baby in the crib making that beautiful smile, the preschool children with a hug, young women would come in after graduating to say how well they are doing, walking the streets we see women who hail us and tell us I own my own business I am doing well. You go by the pool and you see so many children learning to swim; it gives you that feeling that YWCA is doing something good for Belize.”

Both Ann-Marie Williams, the Executive Director of the National Women’s Commission and Ambassador Thummalapally agree that Linares’ work stood out among the other nominees.

Vinai Thummalapally

Vinai Thummalapally

“Not just the length of service but the impact to the Belizean community, the Belizean women through the YWCA organization particularly and how tirelessly she has devoted her time. She continues to have the same level of excitement, enthusiasm and influence in the work that she’s doing.”

Ann-Marie Williams, Executive Director, National Women’s Commission

“I think it couldn’t happen to a nicer woman. She has worked diligently, she has worked often times without any rewards and whatever she has done, she’s always done in the best interest of the YWCA; worked to empower the lives of women and girls. The Y in Belize, over half a century of existence and it continues to work to change lives and change communities. Miss Linares has a good heart and because of that, those type of people should never go unnoticed.”

But for Linares, the honors go way beyond Belize’s borders as she will be the US Embassy’s nominee for the 2010 US Secretary of State’s International Woman of courage Award.

Vinai Thummalapally

“Each country essentially has the option—not everybody will send nominees but we found out that whoever wins, the winner of this year’s Belize Woman of the Year Award will be automatically the nominee to the United States. So Ms. Linares’ name as a nominee will be a tremendous honor and recognition of Belizeans on a whole.”

Sonia Linares

“When somebody mentioned that to me, I didn’t even want to think about it. I just wanted to reach this hurdle for today and then probably after this I’ll think about that. But as I said, I’m just me, working at the Y to improve the lives of women and children.”

Ann-Marie Williams

Ann-Marie Williams

“I think where women are not properly represented and where their voices are not heard, they sort of become invisible. So I think an opportunity like this by the embassy—it’s the first of its kind and it falls in perfectly because it’s Women’s Month—brings into sharp focus the contributions women have made and continue to make in this society.”

The other nine finalists as well as the panel of judges were rewarded with certificates of recognition during today’s ceremony. Delahnie Bain for News Five.

According to Ambassador Thummalapally, the Woman of the Year Competition is expected to become an annual event.