Illiteracy, domestic violence and lack of access to land are just a few of the difficulties faced by women in the mountainous region of western Honduras. Reina Saenz and Emelina Dominguez (holding the radio) are two exceptional women who have managed to overcome these issues. I have to say that Emelina's story is one of the most inspiring tales of compassion and courage and that I ever heard.

The Coordination of Farming Women in La Paz (COMUCAP) was started by five survivors of domestic violence who decided to stand up for themselves and change the way things were. They began by setting up a radio station broadcasting to other women about their rights. Women in the area would listen to the show in secret. They had no idea that they had rights and that their lives could be different. In 1996, Emilina heard a broadcast and decided to go along to one of their meetings. That was when things started to change for this mother of seven.

In a culture where men decide everything for the women, even what they should eat, Emelina managed to strand up for her rights and leave behind her daily life of suffering. In the past, she had almost nothing to eat and used to suffer regular beatings from her husband. She decided to leave him the day he almost stabbed her.

With support from Oxfam and COMUCAP, Emilina has been able to buy her own farm. Her self esteem has improved: "now we eat a better food and I pay for the education of my children with my own salary". Emelina is still fighting for her economical independence, life is not easy, of course. But at lunch breaks, listening to the radio with her assistant Reina Saenz, life has became more pleasant and it's easier to think about the future with more hope.