Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-05-18
Girl
OF the u. NJ.
In Capital
Chilean Woman
Only One Heading
Major Committee
By Isabelle Shelton

sSSS~bS SuStNSu
"Pin-up Girl of the United
Nations" is the not-inappro-
pirate title bestowed on Sonora
Ana Figuerea.
The attractive, dynamic
sonora, who is Chilean dele
gate to the United Nations.
came to Washington this week
with her good friend and fellow
battler for women's rights,
Sonora Gonzalez-V idela, wife of
the President of Chile.
The two women have worked
closely together in their home
country to obtain universal suf-
frage for women and in other
worthwhile welfare projects.
Sonora Figuerea, who has re-
presented her country at the
U. N. since 1948, is the first
woman diplomat ever to become
chairman of a major committee
of the U. N. General Assembly.
She was named last November
as chairman of the Social,
Humanitarian and Cultural
committee. one of the six COM
mittees of the General As
Sembly.
During her Craftsmanship the
committee had to deal, among
other things, with the hot issue
of the Declaration of Human
Rights. This document, which
had been piloted through the
Commission on Human Rights
under the Craftsmanship of
United States Delegate Eleanor
Roosevelt, subsequently had to
be acted upon by Sonora FL
guerea's committee and then the
full General Assembly.
The Chilean Sonora earned
the admiration of her colleagues
by the firmneSS, impartiality and
humor with which she presided.
She reached a high point Of
both firmness and impartiality
when, all in one afternoon, she
called to order the British dele
gate, the Soviet delegate and
Mrs. Roosevelt.
Her humor is shown in such
comments as her version of how
she came to be named the U. MS
pin-up girl. Paris newspapers
hung the label on her when she
was named committee chair
man last year, and other papers
have picked it up since.
Not Thot Fat
II guess maybe they thought
the chairman of a main COM
mittee should be older, fatter
and not so fond of hats" she
declares. Il am old but not that
old. fat but not that fat-and
very fond of hats"
Specifically, the Sonora is 43.
She is attractive, though plump.
with clear skin. shining black
hair and big brown eyes. She
has reputation for extreme
chic-and for possessing more
hats than all the other U. N.
delegates put together.
She has delighted her fellow
delegates-preponderantly male
by showing up in a different
costume every day, and some
times even changing outfits be-
tween morning and afternoon
sessions.
For the interview she was
wearing a wide-brimmed toast
colored sailor of rough straw.
with black veil. and a tailored
black suit. pearl necklace and
gold bracelet.
She thinks the French make
the worlds best hats. but likes
American ready-made clothes
best. "They are just as stylish
and comfortable as the French.
and you don't have to spend two
hours for a fitting every time
you get a new dress" she says.
The Sonora has been a U. N.
delegate since 1948. In addi-
ton to her committee chair
manship. she is alternate dele
gate to the General Assembly
and to the Commission on HUI
man Rights.
The U. N. assignment is her
first experience in diplomacy.
A graduate of the University Of
Chile, she was a high school
teacher of philosophy, English
and literature, then a high
school principal. for 20 years.
She had become supervisor Of
all the. high schools in Chile
shortly before she accepted her
present diplomatic post.
She first became active in
Chilean politics in 1888. when.
she says, "for the first time In
100 years my country elected
a liberal as President. Prior to