Feminist Movements in Latin America

• Essential Components– Combination of feminine and feminist ideals– Groups of middle class or working class women who

organize for various reasons– Basic goals:

• Reforms of the Civil Code: marriage, divorce, custody of children, elimination of discrimination against illegitimate children (not universally supported by all feminists), end discriminatory adultery provisions

• Access to education• Freedom to seek public employment• Suffrage• Reproductive rights

Motherist Aspects of Feminism

• Women viewed themselves both as individuals and part of a family group

• Mothering defined as basic role of women, therefore mothers’ rights should be protected, state aid to mothers and children should be provided

• Male family members rarely attacked directly by feminists—state reform their principal concern

• Protection of children’s rights as important as women’s rights

Feminist Components

• Access to educationSuffrage—Why less important than education? Literacy

requirementsNature of political systemsFormation of all female political parties an answer

for some: Argentina (1918); Brazil (1910), Chile 1922, 1924), Cuba (1914), Panama, (1923)

Often achieved at the municipal level before the national level

Often obtained in the midst of social and political change as in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Venezuela

Sometimes obtained during dictatorships: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua Paraguay

Feminist Movements in Latin America

• Why were reproductive rights so difficult to discuss or demand?

• International feminine and feminist connections– Feminist Congresses: 1910 Feminine

Congress, Buenos Aires– Pan American Women’s Congresses (1922,

Chile; 1924, Peru, International Feminine Congress, Colombia 1930

– Activities of InterAmerican Women’s Commission, 1930-on

– Activities of Pan American Child Congresses 1916-on

– Represent Latin America’s First Wave of Feminism

Case Studies-Cuba

• Unlike other areas of Latin America, Cuba did not win independence until 1898

• Thereafter under the tutelage of the United States (Platt Amendment)

• 90 Miles away from the US and a clear anti-American feeling existed

• Feminist Movement had a dilemma about how to align themselves with the US feminist movement, and US feminists were often very wary of Cuban feminists

Cuban feminists and Cuban independence

• Cuban wars of independence lasted from from 1868 to 1898

• Caused population growth to become negative• Women central to independence movements as mothers

were symbolized also as patriots• Middle and upper-class women led female offensive against

the Spanish—became known as mambises• These women included Maria Grajales, mother of Antonio

Maceo, hero of independence• Thus feminist activities preceded the US occupation of

Cuba, and women activists were defined as nationalist-created women’s liberty clubs in 1890s

• Women demanded not only the end of slavery but also women’s rights in 1898

Women’s Rights after Independence

• Often linked to debates about how Cuba could show its modernity

• Independence coincided with increased education for middle-class women and more women in paid labor force as professionals as well as workers

• First legal battle came over revisions of the Civil Code

• 1917 property law gave married women the right to administer their own properties

• 1918 Divorce law—no fault divorce—very revolutionary

Cuban Feminists –Mariblanca Sabas Alomá, María Dolores Machin, Grace

Thompson-Seton and Ofelia Rodríguez Acosta

Illegitimacy Rates, Cuba

Expansion of Female Literacy to 1943

Feminism in Uruguay

Feminism and the Model Democracy

• Early 20th century Uruguay known as a model democracy and the “Switzerland of South America” under the leadership of José Battle y Ordoñez (1856-1929)

• How did women fare?

• When did feminism emerge?

Secularism and Education

• From mid 19th century onward, the role of the Catholic Church debated especially by the dominant Colorado (red) party

• 1877 law mandated free public coeducational system-by 1906 60% of population literate, even higher in urban areas. This provided the underpinning for middle-class feminism. It also legitimated the formation of a Catholic women’s group, the Asociación de Señoras Cristianas, which in turn, spurred liberal women to organize.

Impact of Argentina

• Similar events occurred in Argentina, a larger and more populous country

• Educated women travelled across the Río de la Plata and supported each other’s activities.

• Also encouraged women to participate in international groups.• And both countries encouraged European immigration that brought

not only professionals, but also working-class people influenced by Anarchism, Socialism, and Syndicalism.

• Initially women of both groups rebuffed by Batlle y Ordoñez’ first government from 1906-1910, particularly the Catholic women’s groups, as his government was anti-clerical.

• Liberal women’s groups began to form at this time, and one group even published a newspaper.

League of Female Freethinkers

• Founded in 1906 by María Abella de Ramírez, one of Uruguay’s most important feminists.

• This group participated in an International Freethinkers’ congress in Buenos Aires that same year.

• Also attended the first International Feminist Congress in Buenos Aires in 1910.

• Soon eclipsed by women associated with Uruguayan Socialist Party.

The Creation of a Welfare State in Uruguay

• By the time Batlle y Ordoñez returned to power in 1911, he was ready to implement the most extensive social legislation in the world. Where would women fit in?

• The President viewed the state as the mediator to promote compensation for social injustices, not equality. Women were just another group in need of state protection. Thus the government passed laws to protect them, but also instituted laws to promote their participation in the workplace. He also created a Women’s University. This did not mean giving women the vote, but it did help create divorce legislation “on the simple will of the woman.”

Liberal Feminism

• Began to emerge in 1916 after the passive of universal male suffrage. Thus women began to band together to push for female suffrage which they got in 1932.

• Also battled against white slavery under the guidance of Paulina Luisi.

The Second Wave of Feminism

• Rarely discussed in histories of Latin American feminism• Usually discuss first wave and then the growth of social

movements in the 1970s and 1980s.• What happened in between?

– World economic depression– Rise of Latin American Dictators – Economic dislocation after WWII, especially the end of

immigration and the increase in rural migration to cities– Development of populist politics and military efforts to end them– New role for women’s issues within the United Nations and the

Organization of American States– The “Third Wave” of Feminism in the United States