Prominent women in Puerto Rico include the following:
Actresses, comedians and directors:
Ivonne Belén, documentary director and producer.
Jennifer Lopez, singer, actress, producer.
Alicia Moreda, actress/comedian
Rita Moreno, actress, danger, singer
Sylvia del Villard, actress, choreographer and dancer.
Marquita Rivera, actress. First Puerto Rican to appear in a major Hollywood motion picture – Road to Rio
Roselyn Sánchez, actress. Films include Rush Hour 2 and Chasing Papi.
Authors, playwrights and poets:
Alejandrina Benítez de Gautier, poet. Benítez de Gautier's collaboration with the "Aguinaldo Puertorriqueño" (Collection of Puerto Rican Poetry) gave her recognition as a great poet.
Giannina Braschi, poet, novelist, dramatist. Author of the Spanglish classic Yo-Yo Boing! and United States of Banana
Julia de Burgos, poet. Considered by many as the greatest Puerto Rican poet of all times.
Isabel Freire de Matos, writer and educator. Distinguished advocate for Puerto Rico's independence.
Rosario Ferré, short story writer and novelist, best known for "Eccentric Neighborhoods" and "Sweet Diamond Dust".
Mercedes Negrón Muñoz, poet. Influential poet whose work dealt with the everyday struggles of the common Puerto Rican.
Lola Rodríguez de Tió, poet. Wrote lyrics to the revolutionary song "La Borinqueña".
Esmeralda Santiago, novelist.
Businesswomen and industrialists:
Carlota Alfaro, fashion designer.
Carmen Ana Culpeper, SBA Regional Director. First female Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury and first female president of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
Camalia Valdés, businesswoman. President and CEO of Cerveceria India, Inc., Puerto Rico's largest brewery.
Civil rights and/or political activists:
María de las Mercedes Barbudo, political activist. First female "Independentista". First woman to become an avid advocate of the Puerto Rican Independence..
Mariana Bracetti, political activist. Bracetti was the leader of the "Lares's Revolutionary Council" during the Grito de Lares. Bracetti knit the first flag of the future "Republic of Puerto Rico".
María Cadilla, women's rights activist. Women rights activist and one of the first women in Puerto Rico to earn a doctoral degree.
Blanca Canales, political activist. Nationalist leader who led the Jayuya Uprising in 1950 against U.S. colonial rule of Puerto Rico.
Isabel González, civil rights activist. Young Puerto Rican mother who paved the way for Puerto Ricans to be given United States citizenship.
Lolita Lebrón, political activist. Nationalist leader and activist. Lebrón was the leader of a group of nationalists, who proceeded to attack the United States House of Representatives in 1954.
Ana María O'Neill, women's rights activist and educator. First female Professor of Business at the University of Puerto Rico. A women's rights activist, she urged women to defend their right to vote.
Ana Roque, women's rights activist. Suffragist and one of the founders of the University of Puerto Rico.
Olga Viscal Garriga, political activist. Student leader at the University of Puerto Rico and spokesperson of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party's branch in Río Piedras.
Composers, musicians and singers:
Janid, singer and songwriter.
Lucecita Benítez, singer. Winner of the 1969 "Festival de la Cancion Latina".
Nydia Caro, singer.
Iris Chacón, singer and vedette.
Ruth Fernández, singer.
Sylvia Rexach, singer and composer.
Julita Ross, singer of danzas.
Educators:
Margot Arce de Vázquez, educator. Founder of the Department of Hispanic Studies in the University of Puerto Rico.
Edna Coll, educator and author. President of the Society of Puerto Rican Authors. Also founded the Puerto Rico Academy of Fine Arts.
Ana G. Méndez, educator. Founder of the Ana G. Méndez University System.
Lolita Tizol, educator. At a time when most people in Ponce, as in most of Puerto Rico, did not know how to read and write, Tizol took it upon herself to overcome challenges to help others.
Nilita Vientós Gastón, educator. First female lawyer to work for the Department of Justice of Puerto Rico. Won a case before the Supreme Court for the use of the Spanish language in Puerto Rican courts.
Historians:
Delma S. Arrigoitia, historian and author. First person in the University of Puerto Rico to earn a Masters Degree in the field of history.
Journalists:
Isabel Cuchí Coll, journalist and author. Director of the "Sociedad de Autores Puertorriqueños (Puerto Rican Authors Society).
Carmen Jovet, journalist. First Puerto Rican woman to become news anchor in Puerto Rico.
Judges:
Carmen Consuelo Vargas, Federal District Court judge. First Puerto Rican female to become a federal district judge and chief justice.
Military personnel:
Carmen García Rosado, PFC, U.S. Women's Army Corps. Wrote "Las WACS: Participacion de la Mujer Boricua en la Segunda Guerra Mundial" (The WACs: The participation of Puerto Rican women in the Second World War).
Dr. Dolores Piñero, U.S. Army Medical Corps. First female Puerto Rican physician to serve under contract in the U.S. Army during World War I.
Physicians, scientists and inventors:
Olga D. González-Sanabria, NASA engineer. Highest ranking Latino at NASA Glenn Research Center and a member of the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame.
Amri Hernández-Pellerano, NASA engineer. Develops energy equipment at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
Dr. Miriam Rodón-Naveira, NASA scientist. First Latino woman to hold the Deputy Directorship for the Environmental Sciences Division within the National Exposure Research Laboratory.
Yajaira Sierra Sastre, NASA scientist. Performs preliminary testing and research work in NASA in the area of food consumption and health of astronauts for future mission to Mars.
Politicians:
María Luisa Arcelay, legislator. First woman in Puerto Rico and in all of Latin America to be elected to a government legislative body.
Sila M. Calderón, governor. First woman governor of Puerto Rico, elected in November 2000. She was the former mayor of San Juan.
Felisa Rincón de Gautier, mayor. First woman to be elected mayor of a capital city in the Americas (Western Hemisphere).
Religion:
Isolina Ferré, nun. Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee.
Juanita García Peraza, religious leader. Founder of the "Mita" religion.
Sports:
Rebekah Colberg, athlete. Pioneer women participant in the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games and gold medal winner in discus and javelin throws.
Ivelisse Echevarría, softball player. Inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame (2003).
Anita Lallande, olympic swimmer and gold medal winner. Holds the island's record for most medals won at CAC Games with a total of 17 and 10 gold.
Angelita Lind, athlete. Track and field athlete.
Women from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent that have become prominent in the mainland United States include the following:
Actresses, comedians and directors:
Míriam Colón, actress and founder of The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre. Her films include Scarface).
Jennifer López, actress, singer, dancer
Rita Moreno, actress. First Latino woman to win the following four major awards: an Oscar, a Tony Award, an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award
Chita Rivera, actress. "Broadway Legend", winner of two Tony Awards
Authors, playwrights and poets:
Pura Belpré, author. First Puerto Rican librarian in New York City.
Nicholasa Mohr, writer. First Latino woman to have literary works published by the major commercial publishing houses, and longest continuously published Latino female writer for these publishing houses.
Judith Ortíz Cofer, poet, writer and essayist. First Latino to win an O. Henry Prize. First recipient of the Pura Belpre Award for Hispanic children's literature.
Micol Ostow, author. Ostow wrote of "Mind Your Manners, Dick and Jane". Her novel, "Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa", was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.
Businesswomen and industrialists:
Aída Álvarez, Cabinet member. First Latino woman to hold a sub-cabinet level position in the federal U.S. executive branch. She performed as director of the Small Business Administration.
Nina Tassler, corporate president. President of CBS Entertainment. Highest profile Latino woman in network television and one of the few executives who has the power to greenlight series.
María Vizcarrondo-De Soto, corporate CEO. First Latino woman to become the President and CEO of the United Way of Essex and West Hudson.
Civil rights and/or political activists:
Sylvia Méndez, civil rights activist and educator. Instrumental in the 1946 landmark desegregation case of Mendez v. Westminster which successfully ended de jure segregation in California. paving the way for the American civil rights movement.
Helen Rodríguez-Trías, physician and women's rights activist. First Latino president of the American Public Health Association and the recipient of the Presidential Citizen's Medal.
Composers, musicians and singers:
Myrta Silva, singer and composer.
Olga Tañón, singer and composer.
Educators:
Ninfa Segarra, education administrator. President of the New York City Board of Education 2000–2002.
Journalists:
María Celeste Arrarás, anchorwoman for "Al Rojo Vivo".
Bárbara Bermudo, journalist. Co-host of Univision's "Primer Impacto".
Elizabeth Vargas, co-anchor of ABC's World News Tonight.
Judges and law enforcement:
Faith Evans, U.S. Marshal. First woman to become a U.S. Marshal.
Dora Irizarry, Federal District Judge. First Latino woman to serve as state judge in New York.
Vanessa Ruiz, Court of Appeals Judge. Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. First Puerto Rican woman to serve as an (2d Cir.) U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge and first Latino to become a U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.
Military personnel:
Carmen Contreras-Bozak, Tech4, U.S. Women's Army Corps. Contreras-Bozak was the first Latino to serve in the U.S. Women's Army Corps. She served as an interpreter and in numerous administrative positions during World War II.
Olga E. Custodio, U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel. First Latino woman to become a U.S. military pilot. Also the first Latina to become a commercial airline captain.
Rose Franco, CWO3, U.S. Marine Corps. First latino woman Chief Warrant Officer in the Marine Corps. Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Navy.
Linda García Cubero, U.S. Air Force captain. First Latino woman to graduate from the United States Air Force Academy and the first to graduate from an American Military Academy.
Haydee Javier Kimmich, U.S. Navy captain. Highest ranking Latino woman in the Navy.
Carmen Lozano Dumler, 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Women's Army Corps. Dumler was one of the first Puerto Rican women Army officers. In 1944, she was sworn in as a 2nd Lieutenant and assigned to the 161st General Hospital in San Juan.
María Rodríguez Denton, U.S. Navy lieutenant. First Puerto Rican woman to become an officer in the United States Navy as member of the WAVES.
Maritza Sáenz Ryan, U.S. Army colonel. Head of the Department of Law at the United States Military Academy. She is the first woman and first Latino West Point graduate to serve as an academic department head.
Physicians, scientists and inventors:
Dr. Antonia Coello Novello, physician. First Latino and first woman U.S. Surgeon General (1990–93).
Mercedes Reaves Research engineer and scientist. Reaves is responsible for the design of a viable full-scale solar sail and the development and testing of a scale model solar sail at NASA Langley Research Center.
Monserrate Román, microbiologist. Participated in the building of the International Space Station.
Politicians:
Carmen E. Arroyo, state legislator. First Puerto Rican woman elected to any state assembly, chair New York Hispanic Legislative Caucus.
María Colón Sánchez, state legislator. First Latino woman elected to the Connecticut General Assembly.
Gloria Tristani, federal commissioner. First latino woman to serve as commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Nydia Velázquez, member of Congress. First Puerto Rican congresswoman. Chair of House Small Business Committee.
Wilda Diaz, mayor. First female mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and first Puerto Rican woman elected mayor in that state.
Clergy:
Bavi Edna Rivera, Episcopal bishop. First Latino woman to become a bishop and the 12th woman consecrated a bishop in the Episcopal Church.
Sports:
Maritza Correia, athlete. First black Puerto Rican woman in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team.
Gigi Fernández, tennis player. First Puerto Rican female athlete to turn professional, first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal, and the first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Lisa Fernández, softball player. Olympic gold medalist.
