Ronda

Ronda recognises seven women from its outlying districts for their careers in rural areas

Ronda Town Council presented an award on Monday at the La Cimada Civic Centre to seven women from different outlying districts for their careers and their contribution to their communities, at an event organised by the Municipal Department of Equality through the Municipal Women's Information Centre (CMIM).

Francisco CG · Published on October 21, 2026 at 08:02

Image for the story: Ronda recognises seven women from its outlying districts for their careers in rural areas — Photo: Ayuntamiento de Ronda

The awards went to María Laín Gamarro, from La Cimada; Mercedes Carrasco Jiménez, from Fuente la Higuera; María López Perálvarez, from La Indiana; Paula Domínguez García, from Los Villalones; Encarnación Gil Becerra, from Puerto Saúco; Paci Fuentes Becerra, from Los Prados; and María Ángeles Higuero Viñas, from Llano de la Cruz. The mayors of the outlying districts presented the life story and contributions of each one before the presentation of the awards, which was carried out by the mayor of Ronda, Mari Paz Fernández.

Careers tied to the land and to the community

The profiles read out at the event reviewed very different trades and ties. Of María Laín Gamarro, from La Cimada, her closeness and her willingness to help those around her were highlighted. Mercedes Carrasco Jiménez, from Fuente la Higuera, ran her own butcher's shop for years and gave up her activity to care for her husband after a workplace accident. María López Perálvarez, from La Indiana, combines farming and livestock work and collaborates in organising activities in the area. Paula Domínguez García, from Los Villalones, was trained at the district's rural school and has spent three decades linked to the business of selling cereals, fertilisers and olive oil. Encarnación Gil Becerra, from Puerto Saúco, coordinates the Ronda Livestock Health Defence Association (ADSG). Paci Fuentes Becerra, from Los Prados, has dedicated her life to the care and maintenance of the church and to attending to the needs of her neighbours. María Ángeles Higuero Viñas, from Llano de la Cruz, worked in various occupations in Spain and in Switzerland and maintains a strong link with agriculture.

Institutional declaration and historical re-enactment

The day included the reading of the institutional declaration by the municipal delegate for Equality, Cristina Durán Melgar, as well as a reception and a welcome snack and a historical re-enactment performance of Carmen de Ronda. According to the Town Council, the initiative seeks to highlight the role of women in rural areas and their contribution to social life and the development of the outlying districts. The Council had already commemorated the International Day of Rural Women on 15 October with the reading of a manifesto from the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) in the Alameda del Tajo, at an event in which the mayor stressed the weight of women at the head of agricultural and livestock holdings.