Maria Cano Castro

Colombian labor rights icon and founder of Latin America's first women's union federation

Maria Cano Castro (1914-2001) was a Colombian labor leader who transformed workers' rights in South America. Emerging from the coffee-growing regions of Tolima, she organized the Union of Colombian Working Women in 1948, becoming the continent's first national federation focused on women's labor rights. Her 1953 strike against textile factory owners in Bogotá secured unprecedented maternity leave policies and child care provisions.

Cano's 1960 publication The Invisible Workers exposed exploitative conditions faced by domestic workers, leading to national labor reforms. She pioneered cross-border solidarity initiatives, founding the Latin American Women's Labor Network in 1970 that united 12 countries. Her 1968 confrontation with the United Fruit Company over wage theft became a landmark case in international labor law.

Modern scholars at the Colombian Labor History Museum credit her with establishing the framework for Colombia's current labor protections. Her legacy is preserved through the annual Maria Cano Human Rights Prize, awarded to contemporary labor activists.