Lidia Fernández Jiménez (also often spelled Lydia Fernández) was a Costa Rican suffragist and feminist active between 1920 and 1940 in the struggle for women's right to vote. In 1923, Mexican feminist

Elena Arizmendi Mejia Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Velik ...

who was living in New York and publishing a magazine ''Feminismo Internacional'' (International Feminism) invited women all over the world to create subsidiaries of the

International League of Iberian and Latin American Women International League of Iberian and Latin American Women (Liga Internacional de Mujeres Ibéricas e Hispanoamericanas) is an international organization of Latin American and Iberian women founded in 1921 by liberal feminists from both regions. Ear ...

on 12 October of that year. As a result,

Ángela Acuña Braun Ángela Acuña Braun, also known as Ángela Acuña de Chacón, (2 October 1888 – 10 October 1983), a Costa Rican lawyer, women's rights pioneer and ambassador, was the first woman to graduate as a lawyer in Central America. Orphaned at the a ...

called together a group to found the

Liga Feminista Costarricense The Liga Feminista Costarricense (Costa Rican Feminist League) was the first feminist organization formed in Costa Rica. In 1923, Mexican feminist Elena Arizmendi Mejia who was living in New York and publishing a magazine ''Feminismo Internacional'' ...

(LFC), first feminist organization in Costa Rica. The inaugural members were Acuña (president),

Esther De Mezerville Esther is the eponymous heroine of the Book of Esther. In the Achaemenid Empire, the Persian king Ahasuerus seeks a new wife after his queen, Vashti, is deposed for disobeying him. Hadassah, a Jewess who goes by the name of Esther, is chosen ...

(vice president),

Ana Rosa Chacón Ana Rosa Chacón (1889 – 28 March 1985) was a Costa Rican educator, health education practitioner, feminist and suffragette. In 1953, in the first election held after women became enfranchisement, enfranchised in Costa Rica, Chacón became one ...

(secretary), and Fernández, along with around 20 others. In 1926, Acuña went to Europe and Fernández succeeded her as president of the LFC."Abshagen Leitinger (1994)", p. 75 In 1928, when the Pan-American Conference met and established the

Inter-American Commission of Women The Inter-American Commission of Women ( es, Comisión Interamericana de Mujeres, pt, Comissão Interamericana de Mulheres, french: Commission interaméricaine des femmes), abbreviated CIM, is an organization that falls within the Organization of ...

(CIM) an international group of women pressured Costa Rica to send Fernández as the delegate, but instead the country sent Alejandro Aguilar Machado, who did agree to the creation of the CIM. The first meeting of the CIM was held in Havana in 1930. The members were, Flora de Oliveira Lima (Brazil),

Aída Parada Aída Parada Hernández (October 1903 – 16 October 1983) was a Chilean educator, feminist, founding member of Movimiento Pro-Emancipación de las Mujeres de Chile (Pro-Emancipation Movement of Chilean Women) and the first Chilean delegate to the ...

(Chile), Lidia Fernández (Costa Rica), Elena Mederos de González (Cuba), Gloria Moya de Jiménez (Dominican Republic), Irene de Peyré (Guatemala),

Margarita Robles de Mendoza Margarita Robles de Mendoza (1896-1954) was a Mexican feminist and suffragette. She was one of the most vocal proponents for Mexican women's enfranchisement during the 1930s and 1940s and often seen as controversial. She worked as a journalist an ...

(Mexico), Juanita Molina de Fromen (Nicaragua),

Clara González Clara González (1898–1990) was a Panamanian feminist, lawyer, judge, and activist. She became the first Panamanian woman to earn her Bachelor of Law Degree in 1922. In 1922, she created the ''Partido Nacional Feminista'' (PNF, National Feminis ...

(Panama), Teresa Obregoso de Prevost (Peru), and Doris Stevens (USA). In 1934, the LFC called together a commission to meet with legislative delegates. The commission was made up of educated professional women from law, sociology, education, fine arts and health professionals who made presentations to convince the legislators that the lack of civic and political rights had severe consequences for women. Fernández was part of the committee that prepared the report on health and hygiene. Despite agreeing that lack of rights impacted women, the legislators took no action. In 1938, Fernández resigned from the CIM, after serving eight years and was replaced by Acuña.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandez, Lidia Costa Rican academics Costa Rican diplomats Costa Rican suffragists Costa Rican feminists Costa Rican women activists Year of death missing