Women in the Paraguayan War
Encyclopedia
Paraguan women had a significant role in the Paraguayan War of 1864.
The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was one of the most dreadful in the history of Latin America.
It began in 1864 when the leader of Paraguay, Francisco Solano López, attacked the neighboring countries (Argentina
, Brazil
and Uruguay
) because he saw them as an obstacle in his plans to take control of the sea outlet offered by the Rio de la Plata
. This war can be observed from many different directions, such as the significantly large amount of time it took Paraguay to recover from its defeat, or the contributions this war had on Brazil's decision to abolish slavery. Though these angles are an important part of the puzzle, history seems to have forgotten one major group of people: women, Paraguayan women, to be more specific.
During the period just before the war began many Paraguayan women were the heads of their households, meaning they did have some power and authority. They received such positions by being widows, having children out of wedlock, or their husbands worked on peon
s. When the war began women start to venture out of the home becoming nurses, working with government, and stabilizing themselves into the public sphere. When the New York Times reported on the war in 1868 they considered Paraguayan women equal to their male counterparts .
Paraguayan women's support of the war effort can be divided into two stages. The first being from the time the war began in 1864 to the Paraguayan evacuation of Asunción
in 1868. During the period of the war, peasant
women became the number one producers of agricultural goods. The second stage begins when the war turned to a more guerrilla form. It started when the capital of Paraguay fell and ended with the assassination of Paraguay's president Francisco Solano López. At this stage the number of women becoming victims of war was increasing.
Women helped sustain Paraguayan society during a very unstable period. Though Paraguay did lose the war, the outcome may have been more disastrous without women performing specific tasks. They were farmers, soldiers, nurses, and government officials. They became the symbol for national unification, and at the end of the war, the traditions women maintained is part of what held the nation together.
The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was one of the most dreadful in the history of Latin America.
It began in 1864 when the leader of Paraguay, Francisco Solano López, attacked the neighboring countries (Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
) because he saw them as an obstacle in his plans to take control of the sea outlet offered by the Rio de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
. This war can be observed from many different directions, such as the significantly large amount of time it took Paraguay to recover from its defeat, or the contributions this war had on Brazil's decision to abolish slavery. Though these angles are an important part of the puzzle, history seems to have forgotten one major group of people: women, Paraguayan women, to be more specific.
During the period just before the war began many Paraguayan women were the heads of their households, meaning they did have some power and authority. They received such positions by being widows, having children out of wedlock, or their husbands worked on peon
Peon
The words peon and peonage are derived from the Spanish peón . It has a range of meanings but its primary usage is to describe laborers with little control over their employment conditions.-English usage:...
s. When the war began women start to venture out of the home becoming nurses, working with government, and stabilizing themselves into the public sphere. When the New York Times reported on the war in 1868 they considered Paraguayan women equal to their male counterparts .
Paraguayan women's support of the war effort can be divided into two stages. The first being from the time the war began in 1864 to the Paraguayan evacuation of Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
in 1868. During the period of the war, peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
women became the number one producers of agricultural goods. The second stage begins when the war turned to a more guerrilla form. It started when the capital of Paraguay fell and ended with the assassination of Paraguay's president Francisco Solano López. At this stage the number of women becoming victims of war was increasing.
Women helped sustain Paraguayan society during a very unstable period. Though Paraguay did lose the war, the outcome may have been more disastrous without women performing specific tasks. They were farmers, soldiers, nurses, and government officials. They became the symbol for national unification, and at the end of the war, the traditions women maintained is part of what held the nation together.