Country of Origin: Venezuela

Maria Corina Muskus Toro, a Venezuelan feminist lawyer, narrates her inspiring journey from Venezuela to the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Initially graduating from law school in Venezuela, Maria worked in human rights before pursuing a master's degree in the United States on a scholarship. Her exposure to feminism blossomed at American University, Washington College of Law, where she noticed a significant lack of awareness about Venezuela's humanitarian crisis and started organizing events to highlight the issue. 

Maria's career led her to Mexico, where she founded Venezolanas Globales, the first and largest network of Venezuelan migrant women, aimed at creating a supportive community for women facing migration challenges. She began with a Facebook group that grew exponentially, with over 2,300  women and 13 hubs worldwide. The network focuses on building connections, promoting gender equality, and fostering transnational feminism. Maria moved to Canada in 2021 to pursue a master's degree, where she researched the Me Too movement and its impact on Venezuelan and Mexican  women. She continues her activism by producing English-language content on Venezuelan feminist movements, maintaining her involvement with Venezolanas Globales, and supporting the network's global activities. Facing numerous challenges, Maria highlights the additional burdens migrant women bear, including free labor and navigating new cultural and legal landscapes. 

Despite these obstacles, she has successfully created a community of solidarity that aids women in their migration journeys, emphasizing that migrants add value to their host countries through cultural and intellectual contributions. In her message to governments, Maria urges a reevaluation of the perception of migrants, advocating for recognizing their contributions rather than viewing them as burdens. Her work underscores the importance of transnational feminism and the reciprocal benefits of cultural exchange and knowledge sharing between migrants and their countries of origin.