Week 6: Citizenship and Rights in the New Republic

This week I would like to focus on issue of women's emancipation and the two texts by María Eugenia Echenique and Josefina Pelliza de Sagasta. I found these two pieces particularly interesting, since they got me thinking about the current state women's status in Latin America. During my stay in Argentina, I found the atmosphere around feminism and women's rights quite anxious. There were major demonstrations against the laws concerning abortion and femicidios, which continue to threaten the lives of women throughout Latin America. Women were considered as respectful figures, especially at home but simultaneously they are faced with the threats of the machismo culture and patriarchy. 

In her writing, María Eugenia Echenique argues that women should become less sensible, spiritual and soft and become more practical and rational in order to become liberated. She both criticizes affect but at the same time she recognizes its worth. On the other hand, Josefina Pelleza de Sagasta maintains that women shouldn't become emancipated by any means, since it would be harmful, both for themselves but also for men and their children. Her writing romanticizes women and their beauty, describing them as "loving", "guardian angels" and "delicate". She argues that if women were to become free, they would lose all of their beauty and love. 

I think this kind of juxtaposition of womanhood and femininity is quite prominent even today. Feminism many times celebrates powerful women who have adapted masculine features and positions, and considers "traditional" women as "weak", or doesn't even recognize their existence. On the other hand, many people still argue that feminists are "too aggressive" and that they lack the kind of empathy and kindness that women should have. I think it is quite interesting that practicality and sensibility, strength and weakness must be mutually exclusive when it comes to women.

Question: Do you think that the emancipation of women has served Latin American women well? Why? Why not? 

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