13 Outstanding Women Receive “Women’s Leadership 2025” Award

To help commemorate Women’s Month, 13 women from the Antofagasta Region were honored with the “Women’s Leadership 2025” award, an initiative promoted by SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition that aims to highlight the outstanding role of women in various areas of society and their significant contribution to the development of their communities.

The winners come from Quillagua, María Elena, Tocopilla and Antofagasta. They were recognized for their leadership in areas as diverse as sports, entrepreneurship, agriculture, social leadership, heritage, inclusion, lifetime achievement, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), academia and women in mining, a category incorporated this year to highlight the work of SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition’s female employees.

José Robles, Deputy Manager of Community Relations for SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition, commented: “We want to highlight the invaluable contribution of these 13 women, who, with perseverance and courage, are building the future of their communities. This award is a way to recognize their efforts and to motivate other women to continue fighting for their dreams.”

The awards ceremony included a red carpet, where the awardees were welcomed by Eli and Krishna de Caso, celebrated television entertainers, who also gave an inspirational talk entitled “I Choose”.

Hanna Goldener, the Antofagasta regional representative of the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity, highlighted the importance of the initiative: “This type of recognition shows that women are taking a fundamental place in different spheres of society. It is a message of empowerment that shows that any goal can be achieved.

Some of the awardees shared their excitement for this recognition. María Cecilia Hernández, Rector of Universidad Católica del Norte and winner in the Academia category, said: “This award is an honor and I receive it with humility. It is an incentive to continue working for the education and development of our region.

Yasna Galleguillos, president of Club Deportivo Barcelona in Tocopilla and winner in the Sports category, said: “This award is recognition for years of hard work and dedication to sports. My mother taught me the value of hard work, and it is a legacy that I now share with the young women of our community.”

María Belén Aguilera, a research engineer at SQM Iodine Plant Nutrition and winner of the Women in Mining category, commented: “This recognition is proof that commitment, dedication and professional work generate a positive impact.”