Image Credit: commons.wikimedia.org Policarpa Salavarrieta, 2 Pesos

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society. We are inviting you to challenge your intellect about women’s global contributions. During March, we are sharing a series of posts celebrating women leaders and their landmark achievements to humanity. On March 3, we shared a post about the contributions of U.S. women. Today we share our second post honoring South American women.

The predominantly Spanish-speaking continent of South America is home to several important female leaders who all played key roles in making progress for women’s rights and females in the workforce. Take our True or False quiz below and test your knowledge regarding South American women:

  1.  Maria Eva Perón was Argentina’s first female President after being First Lady to her husband, Juan Perón, and fought for the poor and women’s suffrage
  2.  Michelle Bachelet was the first female Colombian president and head of UN Women (formally called the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women).
  3.  Venezuelan Sylvia Rivera fought for the modern LGBT liberation movement
  4. Alba Roballo of Uruguay was the first Afro-Uruguayan woman to serve as a senator in 1958 and later, the first woman in Latin America to be selected cabinet minister in 1968.
  5. Manuela Sáenz was an Ecuadorian who joined Simon Bolivar’s movement to liberate South America from Spanish rule
  6. Maria Quiteria de Jesus cut her hair and dressed in men’s clothes to join pro-revolutionary troops in 1822. Her higher-ups eventually discovered her secret, but they permitted her to stay in the army due to her strength and skills as a fighter.
  7. In Bolivia, indigenous women have climbed mountains over 6,000 meters high wearing their traditional skirts
  8. Day of the Colombian Woman is celebrated on November 14 to commemorate the death anniversary of Barbara Turbay, a heroine of the independence of Colombia
  9. In Brazil, women’s participation in the labor market tripled between 1960 and 2020, reaching 54%
  10. Juana Azurduy was the heroine of the independence of Upper Peru (present day Bolivia). After her husband’s death, she took control of the troops and achieved significant military victories.

Who are your favorite South American women who have made noteworthy contributions? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Answer Key: 1.T  2.F (Chilean)  3.T  4.T  5.T  6.T  7.T  8.F (Policarpa Salavarrieta)  9.T  10.T

Sharon Schweitzer, J.D., is a diversity and inclusion consultant, cross-cultural trainer, etiquette expert, and the founder of Access to Culture. In addition to her accreditation in intercultural management from the HOFSTEDE Centre, she is an attorney and mediator. Her Amazon #1 Best Selling book in International Business, Access to Asia, won a coveted Kirkus Star, and was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books. She’s a winner of the British Airways International Trade Award at the Greater Austin Business Awards.

#SharonSchweitzer, #womenshistorymonth, #womenshistorymonth2021, #Cross-CulturalTrainer, #InterculturalCommunication, #herstory, #InternationalCommunication, #Interculturalist, #accesstoasia, #southamericanhistory 

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