2005 SUMMER RESEARCH REPORT

Entire Summer 2005 Article

Feminist Motivations in Twentieth Century Argentina: Reactions to the Cooptation of the Suffrage Movement
Angela Weldt

The Argentine feminist movement is a complex and rich topic of study. Women's education was promoted in Argentina throughout the nineteenth century, and there was growing understanding of the political and social rights. Educated women of the elite championed the cause of the feminist movement with the purpose of reforming the civil code and providing better quality of life for Argentine women, families, and society. The political aspect of feminism was primarily seen as a byproduct of the fight for social rights. It soon became apparent however, that the early goals of civil reform would never be achieved until women were granted a political space and recognized as Argentine citizens. By the opening years of the twentieth century feminism became more defined and political; it evolved into a movement to provide a legal, accepted, and equal political space for women in Argentina. The high tide of the feminist drive for suffrage followed, and in 1932 two bills were presented to the parliament, which although approved by the Chamber of Deputies, stagnated in the Senate. Feminists continued to fight for political rights throughout the nineteen thirties without much success. The military government of 1942 - 1946 was uninterested in a movement with such close ties to socialism and the left. Argentine suffrage was achieved in September of 1947, not because of nearly a century of efforts from the feminist movement, but as a result of the actions of the populist, anti-feminist government of Juan Domingo Perón, whose intent was to broaden his electoral base.

The Argentine experience is unique in that the women who developed the feminist cause in Argentina were not part of the group which achieved women's suffrage in 1947, and in fact, many feminists actively fought against the legislation Perón implemented. Although previous historians of Argentine feminism have investigated the trajectory and importance of the movement, to date there has been very little research into the reaction of the traditional feminists to the cooptation of suffrage by the Peronist movement. I decided to focus my thesis research on this aspect because I felt that study of the published and private reactions of feminist leaders would expand understanding of the Argentine feminist movement and its significance.

My research consists of three elements. My first aim was to investigate the response of the Argentine feminist movement to the cooptation of the suffrage movement by government of Juan Perón, specifically to ascertain how they responded and whether the reaction was positive or negative. The second portion of my research will determine which, if any, of the Argentine feminists supported suffrage as proposed by the Peronist government, and why they chose to support or oppose the movement. The final aspect of my study will determine whether feminist leaders were driven by ideological or class differences, or as I suspect, a combination of both. My trip to Buenos Aires in August of 2005 was intended to access the resources necessary to complete the first phase of my thesis research.

Upon arriving in Argentina, I sought out the major archives and libraries that were associated with aspects of my research. In the Biblioteca Nacional I was able to access the department of hemeroteca and search for copies of feminist journals and magazines that were published in the forties, as these were the major organs of feminist opinion. Although unable to locate any from my exact focus period of 1945-1947, copies of Vida Femenina from 1942 and 1943 were helpful in describing how feminists felt about military and undemocratic governments, and what the place of female suffrage was in those governments. At the Academia Nacional de la Historia, I found a bound issue of the Anuario Socialista that outlined the most basic reasons for opposition to suffrage as proposed by Colonel Perón, and also alluded to a small contingent of feminists and women who did support the bill. Access to the Argentine Library of Congress made it possible to access contemporary newspapers in the original, and search for other editorials etc. by women of the traditional feminist movement. Further research was conducted in the Archivo General de la Nacion, the Biblioteca Juan B. Justo, and the Sociedad Luz. Direct access to these resources made it possible to digitally archive any pertinent information for later use in the thesis.

Although there is need for a large amount of further research before conclusions can be made, my trip to Buenos Aires made it possible to outline the basic beliefs of many feminist women toward dictatorial government, suffrage, and the role of women in Argentina. While the number of personal reactions recovered was minimal, a strong start was made, and the context in which these reactions can be understood was laid. In addition, personal contact with experts in the field of Argentine Women's Studies, such as Dora Barrancos aided in extending the scope and sources of the project. As my first research experience, I also gained invaluable insights into the ways in which research is conducted, and the problems, challenges, and satisfaction it presents.