EL PASO - On Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at 2 p.m., at EPCC Administrative Service Center, Senator Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso) will posthumously honor Esther Chavez Cano with the "Adelante Con Ganas" Award for the month of March.  Every month Senator Shapleigh awards one or more persons who have made an extraordinary commitment to service, family and community. Esther Chavez Cano dedicated her life in establishing a safe place for battered and abused women. Cano was the founder of Casa Amiga, a nonprofit center in Ciudad Juarez, which provided a safe place for victims of domestic violence. Cano was known for defying local authorities and brought international attention to the continuing tragedy of the multiple murders of young women in the Juarez area. She displayed willingness that the victims humanity be handled with dignity and respect despite their gender and lack of political power. Ester Chavez Cano devotion to women's rights and her many achievements in the struggle to protect the lives and the dignity of those for whom she fought will not be forgotten. 

Cynthia Bejarano, an assistant professor of Criminal Justice at New Mexico State University will accept Esther Chavez Cano award on her behalf.