El Diario La Prensa Names Legal Momentum President Irasema Garza a “Woman of the Year” in 14th Annual Mujeres Destacadas Awards

May 23, 2009 -

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Erin Smith, esmith@legalmomentum.org, 212.413.7516; mobile: 512.203.6206

El Diario La Prensa Names Legal Momentum President Irasema Garza a "Woman of the Year" in 14th Annual Mujeres Destacadas Awards

NEW YORK – Irasema Garza, president of Legal Momentum, the nation's oldest legal defense and education fund dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls, was recognized as a "Woman of the Year" by El Diario La Prensa, the premier publication serving New York-area Latinos. The annual Mujeres Destacadas Awards, now in their 14th year, recognize women from business, industry, government, nonprofit and entertainment who have reached a level of distinction within their field and have made a difference in their community. 

Ms. Garza, who just marked her one year anniversary as president of Legal Momentum, was recognized along with 24 other "mujeres supremas" including Hon. Sonia Sotomayor, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, and Martiza Puello, the Managing Editor of NY1 Noticias.

Rossana Rosado, the Publisher and CEO of El Diario wrote of the event, "We began this tradition of celebrating and recognizing our mujeres 14 years ago and I am always overwhelmed by the stories of these Latinas, young and mature, single and married, from different countries and in the diaspora. They inspire hope for a great future, our future."

Ms. Garza says, "This award signifies the great importance of Legal Momentum's work in in New York and beyond.  As a Latina and leader of a women's advocacy organization, I realize that the most pressing objective for the women's movement is to combat the cycles of poverty and economic insecurity that trap so many women in unsafe situations and lives of hardship. It is imperative that we see that fighting women's poverty is critical to a strong future for our families, our communities, and ultimately, our nation."

An attorney with a broad range of experience as public servant and labor advocate, Ms. Garza has, throughout her career, championed the interests of women and economically disadvantaged ethnic and racial groups by working for economic equality.

Nominated by President Clinton, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Ms. Garza served from 1999 to 2001 as director of the U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau, the only federal agency mandated by Congress to represent America's wage-earning women in the public policy process. During her tenure, she championed efforts to ensure that economic security for women was a key component of the Labor Department's political and legislative agenda.

From 1994 to 1999, Ms. Garza served as the first secretary of the U.S. National Administrative Office, charged with implementing the labor provisions of NAFTA. In this capacity, she worked with the governments of Mexico and Canada to improve labor rights for working people, including women workers in Mexico's maquiladora industries.

Ms. Garza joined the U.S. labor movement in 2003 as director of Women's Rights for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). In 2006, she joined Working America, the community affiliate of the AFL-CIO, serving first as national political director and later as director of community and external affairs.

Since joining Legal Momentum, Ms. Garza has been working to make women's economic security a central theme in the public conversation surrounding economic policy, stimulus legislation and national recovery.  From championing goals for women's participation in non-traditional jobs to advocating for welfare reforms that will truly prepare women to participate equitably in the workforce, Ms. Garza has fought to see that the interest of working women and their families are not only recognized, but addressed through proactive legislation and administrative policy at the national level.

For more, see El Diario's coverage of "2009 Mujeres Destacadas".

About Legal Momentum: Founded in 1970, Legal Momentum is the nation's oldest legal defense and education fund dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls. www.legalmomentum.org