Being a woman today is not an easy task. Combining motherhood with a career is a difficult challenge that women face all over the world. And Latinas are not the exception. So here they are, come and meet them. Successful and strong latin-divas that fight everyday to help others, along with raising their children or running their businesses.
Sofía Vergara was, according to Forbes magazine, the highest-paid actress on U.S. Television in 2012. The audience fell in love with Gloria Delgado-Pritchett, her character in the show "Modern Family", for which she was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Comedy Actress. The Colombian, also a model and a television hostess, has her own line at Kmart, which includes clothing, jewelry, bedding and home accessories. Vergara has a 21-year-old son, Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara, who served as inspiration for the actress' fictional son "Manny" on Modern Family. In 2012, she announced she was getting engaged with boyfriend Nick Loeb, and is planning to have a baby with him through a surrogate. She says this is due to a loss of fertility she suffered after receiving lots of radiation in treatment for thyroid cancer. After having suffered this decease, the actress has helped raising awareness of hypothyroidism through a campaign called "Follow the Script".
Shakira has sold more than 70 million records around the world. She is the definition of a "Mega Diva Latin Star." She also recently became a mom to Milan Piqué Mebarak with her boyfriend, the Barcelona Football player Gerard Piqué. But that is not where it all ends. Shakira doesn't forget where she came from, and so she has created her own charity foundation called "Pies Descalzos". According to their website www.fundacionpiesdescalzos.com, their mission is to ensure that every child in Colombia can exercise his or her basic right to a quality education. Shakira is deeply committed to her cause, as we can read in one of the heart-felt quotes from her on the website: "All I have to do is close my eyes and I can imagine their faces; I know that each child has a name, a heart, a dream; I know that their lives are just as valuable as yours or mine. Yet many of these children die every day in total abandonment". Also an ambassador for UNICEF, the diva has worked with Barack Obama on childhood aid programs.
Salma Hayek began acting in the Telenovelas (Soap Operas) in her natal Mexico. Amazingly beautiful and talented, today she is one of the most known Latinas around the globe. Her breakthrough role in Hollywood was in the 2002 film Frida, portraying Mexican legendary painter Frida Kahlo. Performance for which she received an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress. Around 2000, Hayek founded a film production company called Ventanarosa, through which she produced the hit show "Ugly Betty" from 2006 to 2010. She is married to french businessman François-Henri Pinault, and a mother to Valentina Paloma. Hayek is also an ambassador for the Avon Foundation For Women, and one of the founders of Chime For Change, a campaign launched by Gucci to collect money and promote women's rights and equal opportunities.
Jennifer Lopez is a singer, actress, businesswoman, producer, fashion-icon and mother. Her records and films have made millions of dollars, and everything she touches, seems to instantly turn to gold. She also has a line in the Kohl's Shops that includes clothing, shoes, accessories, and perfumes. She owns her own production company called Nuyorican Productions. This multi-faceted Latina is the mother of twins Maximilian David and Emme Maribel, who she had with ex-husband Marc Anthony. Her numerous occupations haven't stopped her from contributing to the world: Together with her sister Lynda, she co-founded in 2009 the Lopez Family Foundation, which goes by the slogan "Where children are concerned, there is no time to lose". Its mission is to improve the health and well-being of women and children.
Eva Longoria became widely known for her character Gabrielle Solís, in the television show "Desperate Housewives". In 2006 she created her own production company called UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. She has also published a cookbook called "Eva's Kitchen: Cooking With Love For Family and Friends". Her philanthropic activities are many, showing she is deeply committed to the disadvantaged. She is the national spokesperson for PADRES Contra El Cancer (Parents against Cancer). She also supports the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation, OmniPeace, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the National Stroke Association, Project HOME and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. In 2006, she founded "Eva's Heroes," aimed at helping mentally disabled children. Longoria is also the executive producer of the documentary "The Harvest", which focuses on the 500,000 child migrant farm workers in the U.S.