ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER HONOUR – and this time it is from South America!

‘Women in Geothermal (WING) members embracing WING core values help to further its mission to promote the education, professional development and advancement of women in the geothermal community. Each year, WING honors its four members for embracing and living its four core values of COURAGEOUS, EMPOWERING, OPEN and CARING. Winners are awarded every year during the Geothermal Rising Conference in the US held during the autumn.’

https://womeningeothermal.org/wing-core-value-awards/

This year, none other than one of our CWM ZENA’NA sisters, Elizabeth Torio-Henriquez will be awarded the WING Award for her 25 years of service in the geothermal industry, particularly, for her work in advancing women in the industry.

Beth as she is fondly called by her CWM ZENA’NA sisters, is one of the first batch of new members of the organization. Forty-one years ago, CWM ZENA’NA was established to promote sisterhood and solidarity among female geology students at the University of the Philippines. It was the start of her long and arduous but successful journey towards advancing the cause of women in the geosciences. So, it is not a surprise to see her carry on her mission even after moving to the other end of the globe.

Beth has lived in El Salvador since 1991 after she married her Salvadoran husband who she met while attending geothermal training in New Zealand. After a brief pause in her practice to become a mum, she resumed professional work in 1998, with LaGeo, S.A. de C.V., the only geothermal company in El Salvador. Beth started in the laboratory using the company’s new XRD machine. She was the only one that could analyze samples and she did this for ten years. Her consistent work supported projects during the overhaul of the power plants for corrosion and scaling in two geothermal fields, during exploration, monitoring of fumaroles and alteration, drilling and also servicing external clients by providing analytical services.

Beth became highly regarded as the only petrographer in the country. As her children grew older, she had the opportunity to do borehole geology specializing in hydrothermal alteration. Soon, Beth was designated project leader in geology responsible for wellsite geology and analysis to characterize the stratigraphy and mineralogy of wells. In a Latin American country with the strong “machista” culture of the Latinos, Beth fought for her place and didn’t let anyone put her down.

In 2017, WING (Women in Geothermal) Global was in troduced to El Salvador by the International Geothermal Association. WING El Salvador was launched in 2017 and recruited women in La GEO providing them with training on empowerment, finance, sorority and more.

When the pandemic came in 2020, activities came to a halt. This resulted in the delay in establishing WINGMEN (men who advocate for advancement of women and gender equality) which was a commitment to the World Bank. Beth who was leading this initiative, continued to deliver training in virtual mode organizing eight sessions in ten months.

In 2021 Beth was named the WING El Salvador ambassador, with her activities focusing on supporting women and WINGMEN in the geothermal industry.

In recognition of her enduring efforts, Beth has been selected in 2021 as the recipient of the core value for Caring – WING Global award for her dedicated and tireless work to promote advancement of women by encouraging young women to take up geoscience and engineering, giving training on geothermal energy including to those in administration, and continuing her engagement with WINGMEN among others.

No doubt every one of her sisters in CWM ZENA’NA would want to follow her example. To them, she extends some wise words of advice:

• Be visible

• Always do your job honestly

• Do your best in every thing

• Polish your talent

• Help and support each other

• Don’t let people put you down

• Move forward past all the problems

• Be good and always be grateful for all your blessings

In response we say, thank you sis Beth. We are so very proud of you!