Comandanta Esther
Comandanta Esther is the nom de guerre of a revolutionary in the Zapatista Army of National Liberation of Chiapas, Mexico, created for indigenous people's rights. She is considered a high ranking woman in the EZLN. Military "commanders" have no actual power and are simply spokespeople for the movement. Comandanta Esther is best known for her March 2001 speech to the Congress of the Union at the San Lazaro Legislative Palace in Mexico City, in which she spoke for constitutional recognition of indigenous people. She also spoke of the difficulty that indigenous women face from being both indigenous and women and that they need their rights acknowledged. Her work has helped inspire women activists to speak up in and join leadership roles in their communities in Mexico.
