My name is Lilian Godoy. I am the wife of the Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana. Recently, I was invited to speak at the event ‘SheShines Summit’, organised in Bartica by Project New Nation. It was truly an honour and I felt so grateful when Mr. Magaiva Gonsalves reached out to me.
This was my third visit to Bartica and it was wonderful to meet again with Regional Chair Williams, Mayor Murray and many people I had previously met with.
With my husband, we have been in Guyana for 10 months, and we had the pleasure of exploring many parts of this beautiful country. I was looking forward to seeing again the majestic Essequibo and returning to Bartica, a city full of energy and a bright future ahead.
I was particularly interested in participating to this event because it celebrated the voices, the visions and the victories of women who are building their future every day with courage and determination.
RECLAIMING MY VOICE
This event was an opportunity to listen to the stories of these strong women, and to tell them a bit about my own. I was born in El Salvador. I am a former diplomat, a teacher, a mother, a grandmother, a wife, a woman who has spent her life building bridges — between El Salvador and my beautiful and beloved Canada, and also between my profession and my family. I come from a line of strong women — starting with my grandmother. I learned early on that reclaiming your voice doesn’t mean speaking louder. It means speaking with strength, courage, and confidence in who you are.
At the event, I was not only speaking for myself – I felt like I was speaking for every woman who has ever been silenced, underestimated, or doubted. I did not go there to repeat the same message that says, “You need to fight hard, to get what you want.” Yes — that’s true. But it’s just as important to say: Move. Do something. Don’t give up! Because sometimes, life doesn’t give you what you want — for many reasons.
But even when doors close, you must not quit. You must keep preparing, keep learning, keep growing — because one day, the opportunity — your moment — will come. I truly believe in this. Life has shown me.
I have lived with a progressive hearing loss since I was 14 years old. For many years, I stayed quiet and shy — not because I had nothing to say, but because I was afraid I wouldn’t hear others.
I had no friends. I was bullied in high school. So, I took refuge in my studies. I didn’t know where I was going — but I kept moving forward. And all of this happened while we were living through a civil war. Our neighbourhood was attacked. We couldn’t go to school. My parents couldn’t go to work. We didn’t have enough food, water, or electricity. But we survived. The war ended after twelve long years of violence. And life continued.
From that, I learned how precious life is. And I realised that my hearing loss could not be an excuse — not for giving up, and not for settling.
A year before entering University, my parents bought me my first hearing aid. For the first time, I could hear more clearly. When I was 18, I began working in many different jobs while studying at the University, I taught classes, sold books, worked as a receptionist, a waitress, and a secretary. It took almost ten years of knocking on doors that never opened. Ten years when I was not allowed to show what I could do.
One day I said: it’s Enough! I need to do something different. And I wrote a letter — directly to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador, who at the time was an incredible woman and diplomat. In the letter I said:
“I’ve worked hard. I’ve sent my CV more than ten times but never received a call. Not because I’m not qualified — but because I don’t have powerful connections. I’m not the daughter or wife of a businessman or politician. I am a young professional woman, and I am good at what I do. I deserve a chance to be interviewed.”
The Minister read the letter. I was called for an interview and testing. I wasn’t hired just because of that letter — but because I finally had the chance to be evaluated, to prove my capabilities. And I did. I started my diplomatic career from the bottom — and worked my way up. For 26 years, I served the government of El Salvador — from administrative assistant to Ambassador. It wasn’t always easy — there were highs and lows — but I never stopped.
I didn’t listen to those who told me I wasn’t capable — because I was a woman, or that I wasn’t enough, or that my hearing loss was a limitation. I never gave up. At the beginning, I needed to prove to myself that I deserved a chance — just like anyone else — despite my hearing condition. Over the years, my daughters became my greatest motivation.
RECLAIMING MY VISION
When I look back, I realise that my voice allowed me to fulfill my vision. And along the way, I learned that in life you must take the time to breathe, to rise after a fall, to shake off the dust, and return to the fight. Yes, you will make mistakes. You will fall again, and again. But you must rise. You must move. You must continue.
We need to remember what holds us together during the hardest times. What sustains women like those I met in Bartica, like me:
The home. The family. Our children. Our memories. Our problems and fears.
The invisible labour of being women, mothers, daughters, sisters, friends
The emotional weight of being human.
We are held together by love, by joy, by wins
And sometimes, we don’t even have the strength to hold ourselves. We are exhausted. But we keep going — because we believe in something. We choose to face the day.
I’ve always said to myself that I must fight for all those who are opening paths. I cannot remain indifferent to what’s happening in the world right now. I have the duty and the responsibility to fight for all those who cannot, for those facing violence and exclusion, for those trying to survive war, and for all those who have lost their lives. That is why my vision has never been just professional — it is deeply personal.
All of us have a responsibility — to help build a more tolerant and inclusive society, respects the rights and dignity of others. Even when life changes. When I left my job and moved to Canada, I had to start again and hold on to that vision. Because I knew that what I had built inside me could never be taken away — and that I had the opportunity to begin a new chapter: the most important one, with my love, my husband Sébastien. Together, we built a multicultural family with four children.
I put my professional career on hold and began a new stage of my life —and I can say with all my heart, this is a fulfilling chapter.
RECLAIMING MY VICTORY
Victory comes with time — after fighting a thousand battles; many of them lost, but the most important ones won. Victory doesn’t always look like a title or a promotion. Victory is growing. It’s becoming more than who you were yesterday. It’s knowing who you are. Loving yourself. Being at peace with yourself. It’s to recognise your weaknesses — and still being proud of your strengths.
All of us have a personal battle. Many women in reading these lines are probably thinking about their own challenges, their dreams and goals. But life doesn’t always give you what you want, or when you want it.
And in those moments — when you fall — you must rise. Yes, you can cry. You can scream. You can feel lost. You can be tired. But don’t stay there. You must get up — and begin again! Because it is the fight that keeps you going, and that fight is what will one day open doors.
My victory is not just my career. It is the entire journey. It is knowing that I never gave up. That I found strength in my silence, clarity in my vision, and purpose in every step I have taken.
To all the women out there, you must continue to rise. You are the heart of your community, and your voice, your vision, and your victory matter — not just for yourselves, but for your family, for your children, and for every woman still finding her way.
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Ms. Lilian Godoy, the wife of the current Canadian High Commissioner, H.E. Sébastien Sigouin. Ms. Godoy was a speaker at the ‘She Shines Summit’ which was hosted today in Bartica by Project New Nation. The event inspired Ms. Godoy to publicly share her experiences as a career woman, wife, and mother to hopefully inspire other young women going through life’s stages and challenges.
