Women’s long march to gain a foothold in the rum industry

Gone are the days (41 years ago) when Lorena Vasquez started out in the world of rum as the only woman… among 200 men! Women are now not only present in all aspects of the rum industry, but also much more visible. And over the last decade or so, we have seen them increasingly taking on highly strategic roles such as master blender, maestro ronero and cellar master. Although there is still some way to go (few women hold economic power and some still face sexism), things are clearly moving in the right direction. So much so that at Rumporter, we find ourselves dreaming that in 10 years’ time, this type of article will have become obsolete, as it will be obvious that women have the same place in the rum industry as men.