Feminist Movements in Latin America

1. 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

2. 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

3. Feminist Components • Access to education Suffrage—Why less important than education? Literacy requirements Nature of political systems Formation 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Cuban Feminists –Mariblanca Sabas Alomá, María Dolores Machin, Grace Thompson-Seton and Ofelia Rodríguez Acosta

9. Illegitimacy Rates, Cuba

10. Expansion of Female Literacy to 1943