Born in Equatorial Guinea, 50-year-old Bosaho moved to Spain more than three decades ago, working as a nurse before she made the jump to politics. Motivated by what she calls an “obsession” for human rights and worried about what kind of world she was leaving behind for her child, she decided to add her name to the list of Podemos candidates in the coastal city of Alicante. “It’s a window that’s open to the future,” she said of her party.
This year’s elections in Spain saw a record number of female candidates rise to office. Rita Bosaho, one of these many women, recently made history as the first black female MP.
The election of Bosaho, who emigrated to Spain from Equatorial Guinea more than 30 years ago, has opened a dialogue about immigrant rights and representation in the country. Bosaho worked as a nurse before her passion for human rights issues drove her to politics. She cites a “lack of opportunities” as well as structural issues as the main factors for why more immigrants in Spain don’t consider a political career.
Bosaho has received a lot of attention from both Spanish and international press following the election. “Why is it so striking that a black woman could end up in parliament?What does that say about us all being integrated?,” she says.
