GENDER
ROLES
Learn more about one of the precursors of the
struggle for women's rights in Chile.
Today I don´t want to move far from our latitudes
to share with you about an amazing Chilean woman, she was the first woman
studying law. She should receive her class sitting behind a curtain because her
presence was considered a huge distraction for her fellow men. She had to obey
that order because if she didn´t, she could not study at the University of Chile.
Nowadays we can find many women studying
without rules at any university in our country. Thus we want to recognize her
contribution as a student leader, her fight for female suffrage among others.
This woman was the Chilean Elena Caffarena Morice ( 1903-2003) an emblematic model of the
feminist leaders that were at that time.
Elena Caffarena was a Chilean feminist leader
who fought throughout her life to change the traditional view of women: limited
to motherhood and housework.
She was born in Iquique, on March 23, 1903 when the saltpeter made the city shine.
Daughter of Italian textile entrepreneur Blas Caffarena Chiozza, was the third
of seven brothers. She studied Law at the University of Chile and was one of
the first women to participate in the Federation of Students of the University
of Chile (FECH).
Elena, devoted her entire life to fighting for
female emancipation. She defended the right of women to develop in a democratic
society and with equal opportunities with men. She graduated as a lawyer in
1926, becoming one of the first 15 female jurists in the country.
In 1935 she founded the Movement for the
Emancipation of Women in Chile (MEMCH), whose great contribution was to
organize mobilizations of women in the struggle for their rights as workers,
mothers and citizens.
She got in 1935 that the Chilean women voted
in the municipal elections. However, it was only in 1949 that allowed female
suffrage in the presidential elections.
She published the book “Capacity of the married woman in relation to her goods”, where she
exposes some of her ideas that were very advanced for the time. By the 1980s,
she was one of the founders of the Committee for the Defense of People's Rights
(CODEPU).
Elena Caffarena died on July 19, 2003.
Today we all know her granddaughter, Pamela
Jiles, famous journalist and writer who is the daughter of her son Juan Jiles
Caffarena.
Her
famous sentences:
"My studies of law convinced me of the
legal inferiority of women."
“I am a feminist by a democratic
vocation".
Hello!
ReplyDeleteI thought she was the founder of the underwear brand "Caffarena", but I was wrong, because it was her fahter's business. Now, I know she wasn't only a feminist fighter, but she did a lot for the women rights.
Unfortunately, and I actually think that Elena is rolling on her grave, her grandaugther left everything behind, even her intelligence and professionalism, when she decided to join into a gossip tv show team, where she is still working now. This is a very big shame for Elena's memory.
It's my opinion.
I agree with your comment about Pamela Jiles. Actually I think that she should do something about her last name and try to bring back some of the contrib utions that her grandmother did as being the first law educated woman in Chile
DeleteThis is the reason because Pamela Jiles is just a reference in my article. She is totally crazy.
ReplyDeleteI am really impressed on how you organized the text here Cata. I had NO idea who you were talking about when I started reading (which made me even more interested in the text) and then you gave a lot of extra information. Really interesting and great decision on Ms. Caffarena. I can not believe that she had to study behind a curtain!!!
ReplyDelete