A UNHCR press release published on social media said that this award is one of the highest awards from the UN refugee agency, which González will be presented with on the 10th at a global recognition ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland.
González, 74, founder and director of the Association of Women Entrepreneurs of the Upala Community (Amecup) in Alajuela, northern Costa Rica, offers support to newly arrived refugee applicants in the country and empowers women in the community against gender-based violence, UNHCR says.
She notes that “Doña Vicenta, as she is better known in her community, is the winner of the Nansen Regional Award for America.”
The award – he continues – is a recognition of his exceptional work on behalf of refugees, asylum seekers and for his historic work protecting and empowering women in the northern zone of Costa Rica, regardless of their nationality or immigration status.
The international organization reports that González, who was born in Nicaragua and is a naturalized Costa Rican, has lived in Costa Rica for almost half a century. As a women’s rights advocate, she has helped women fleeing domestic violence find livelihoods and seek independence, she says.
About Amecup, the UNHCR claims that it is a cooperative that produces cocoa and processes it into various food and beauty products. This small business helps unite local women and refugee applicants and provides them with a livelihood, she explains.
She expects Doña Vicenta to attend the ceremony in Geneva, where the global winner and other regional winners will be recognized, an opportunity that will allow her to meet with influential people to strengthen her entrepreneurship and their work at a national, regional and international level.
red/ale