National 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 February 28, we shared a post about the contributions of U.S. women. Today we share our second post honoring South American women.

This predominantly Spanish-speaking continent is home to several important female leaders who all played key roles making progress for women’s rights and females in the workforce. Decide whether the following facts are True or False 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
  3.  Venezuelan Sylvia Rivera fought for the modern LGBT liberation movement
  4.  Arisa Batista Cunningham is a Peruvian who fought to increase diversity in the workplace
  5. Manuela Sáenz was an Ecuadorian who joined Simon Bolivar’s movement to liberate South America from Spanish rule
  6. Gender discrimination against women is highly common in Uruguay
  7. In Bolivia, indigenous women have climbed mountains over 6,000 meters high using their traditional skirts
  8. Europe is the main destination for South American immigrants, including women
  9. In Brazil, women’s participation in the labor market tripled between 1960 and 2010, reaching 60%
  10. Rural women work an average of 83 hours per week in Ecuador, roughly 23 hours more than the average rural male

Who are your favorite South American women who have made noteworthy contributions? Please share your thoughts with us so we may have a dialogue with our readers.

Photo by Flickr

 

Answer Key:  1)T  2) F – Chilean  3) T  4) F – Panamanian 5)T   6) F – Paraguay  7) T    8) F – United States  9) T  10) T

Sharon Schweitzer, J.D., is a cross-cultural trainer, modern manners expert, and the founder of Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide. In addition to her accreditation in intercultural management from the HOFSTEDE centre, she serves as a Chinese Ceremonial Dining Etiquette Specialist in the documentary series Confucius was a Foodie, on Nat Geo People. She is the resident etiquette expert on two popular lifestyle shows: ABC Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend and CBS Austin’s We Are Austin. She is regularly quoted by BBC Capital, Investor’s Business Daily, Fortune, and the National Business Journals. Her Amazon #1 Best Selling book in International Business,  Access to Asia: Your Multicultural Business Guide, now in its third printing, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2015. She’s a winner of the British Airways International Trade Award at the 2016 Greater Austin Business Awards.

Paola Guevara is a Spring 2017 Cross-Cultural Communication intern with Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide. She’s lived in Mexico, France, and different states throughout the United States, including California, Florida, and Texas. She currently attends St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas studying International Business with a focus in French.  Connect with her via Linkedin.