María Lavalle Urbina

Esperanza Urbina Alfaro was described by many as charming and as the “prototypical campechana matron” because of her beauty and altruism.

Close friends of Maria Lavalle Urbina describe how influential her family and upbringing were to her development.

As a lawyer, she held many other prominent positions such as Mexico's representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women (1957-1968), Mexican delegate to the Inter-American Commission of Women of the OAS (1965), Member of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (Institutional Revolutionary Party) since 1930, in which she served as the director of the national women's executive committee (1965-1971), Director of the Civil Registry of the Ministry of Governance (1970-1976), Secretary of Basic Education (1976-1980) and Director of the National Commission of Free Text Books of the Ministry of Education (1982-1996).

[2][1] Due to her exemplary work in advancing the cause of human rights, especially of women, Maria Lavalle Urbina has been the recipient of a great deal of awards.

In her honor, the Mexican chapter of the World Association of Women Journalists and Writers created the Maria Lavalle Urbina national award.

On November 28, 2006, the remains of Lavalle, Emma Godoy Lobato (a prominent journalist that promoted the defense of old age) and Dolores del Río (a famous Mexican actress) were interred at the Rotunda of Illustrious Persons.

The President of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Senate of the Republic also spoke at the ceremony, highlighting Urbina's terrific career as a lawyer and political figure.