In Latin American history, women have been both active players and passive recipients of state-inflicted policies. The explosion of research over the last fifteen years is testiment to how much we still have to learn about their experiences. Women and Gender in Modern Latin America is a collection of both secondary sources and primary sources, many translated for the first time, that brings the story of women's involvement in modern Latin American history up to date. Beginning with the bitter, prolonged wars of Spanish American independence, the collection touches on both the rise of the new state governments and women's increasing involvement in politics, as well as their roles in daily life and as the heads of many households. The book also examines the expectations, responsibilities and limitations facing women in their varied roles, touching on feminism, labor and economics, revolution, and sex and motherhood. Pamela Murray draws on the best new research to inform the chapters, and has pulled together a variety of fascinating primary sources to bolster the chapters, including interviews, speeches, testimony, images, government documents, and private correspondence.
Whether for a course specifically on women in Latin America, or as an addition to a Modern Latin America survey course, Women and Gender in Modern Latin America provides a comprehensive overview of the experience of women across Latin America.