Editorial Celebrating women

When I was first approached about being the guest editor for Yucatán Magazine’s first-ever Women’s Issue, of course I felt many things. Honored for being considered, excited about the incredible individuals we were going to feature, and of course, a huge sense of responsibility to do their stories justice.

The women in this issue come from all different geographical places and stages in life, but they share one thing in common — drive. A mission that steers their lives and which they gift their community. Sometimes they serve as pioneers, other times they shake up crusty old rules, and sometimes they bring people together under a collective sense of purpose, but let’s not forget, they also do things just because it is their heart’s desire to do so.

I personally am excited to see many familiar faces. Women I have met at different points in my life and admired throughout, such as Alondra Cupul, Vanessa Rivero, and Anakaren Rodríguez. Others, whose work I have fangirled over from a distance like Cristina Baker, Míriam Peraza, Kimberly Davin-DeGraff, and Las Amazonas. And then there are those who have been instrumental in shaping me at both a professional and personal level, like Claire Joysmith, Juanita Stein, Judy Abbott, and my mother, Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado, who also writes for the magazine.

But learning and being inspired by new stories has also been rewarding, such as the work of Semillero K’an-Lol, Jessica Park, Ebony Duff, Sistah Yaya, Tatiana Echeverría, Fernanda Toler, Mary Valle, and Dra. María Flores. Additionally, we are so fortunate to have original contributions from Maggie Cale, Hannah Hudson, Claire Tyrpak, and Joanna van der Gracht de Rosado. Along with amazing portraits by Bénédicte Desrus and Laura Sánchez.

Although we could include only a small sample of women’s vast contributions to our society, we hope that they inspire you in the same way they have done for us. That you see some names you recognize, but also find new causes to celebrate, and that you seek out the work that they and others do and support them.

Maggie Rosado van der Gracht Guest Editor, Yucatán Magazine