Paolina Vercoutere

Paolina VercouteÃÄre Quinche is a Kichwa politician, feminist, athlete and mother of three. She is currently a Councilor for the Municipality of Otavalo in the province of Imbabura, Ecuador. Previously, she was the first Kichwa Governor of Imbabura and the Provincial Director of the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion. She served as the Alternate Deputy for the Province of Imbabura from 2017-2019.

In addition to her role as a Councilor, she is a Representative of the National Platform for Women Working towards Equality – Imbabura, a national organization that fights violence and advocates for women’s rights. Paolina is a Delegate to the Advisory Council ad hoc of the National Council for Gender Equality. She is also the President and founder of UNIOTAVALO, a credit union that emphasizes women’s entrepreneurship within the framework of the Popular and Solidarity Economy. .

Paolina is a Kichwa revitalization activist and is the co-founder of Kawsay Otavalo, an ecological collective that seeks to raise awareness about littering, garbage, and plastic usage, and works to combat littering and pollution in the city.

Paolina has a Degree in Engineering in Social and Cultural Development and a Master’s Degree in Gender and Public Policy from FLACSO.

She was selected as a Fellow for the 2019-2020 VV Engage Cohort.