Mexican Women Making History
There are increasing numbers of Mexican women breaking through into the arts, science, and politics, and you are probably familiar with many of these modern Latin icons. Throughout Mexico’s history, there have been remarkable women pushing the boundaries and helping to form the rich and varied culture of the country. Here are just a handful of Mexico’s most influential women.
Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
A seventeenth-century nun, who is credited with being Mexico’s first feminist and an accomplished writer and poet. She was born c.1651 near the Popocatepetl Volcano. After a childhood in which she excelled at her studies, she adopted the life of a nun, claiming it was the only place she could find peace to write and continue her studies into literature, music, science, history and theology. She corresponded with leading figures on the outside world, and her writing was acclaimed as being both extraordinary and somewhat controversial. One of her most famous writings is a poem entitled You Foolish Men, in which she discusses the rights of women and the hypocritical attitudes of men in a country where prostitution was rife. Although she died over three centuries ago, her work is still studied, and she continues to have significant cultural influence.
Frida Kahlo
One of the most renowned and admired Mexicans of the Twentieth century, Kahlo was born in 1907 in Mexico City. She suffered a bout of polio when she was six that left her with a withered right leg and twisting of her spine and pelvis. She planned to become a doctor and studied medicine after leaving school. In 1925 she was almost killed in a horrific accident, and the surgeries, disabilities and chronic pain she suffered for the rest of her life are said to have inspired her surrealist paintings and her many self-portraits. She died in 1954, officially of natural causes but rumors of an overdose were rife. She was a forerunner of the feminist art movement and a pioneer in raising the profile of women artists in Mexico.
Caritina Galeana Gomez
Born in 1910, she became a teacher when the post-revolution Mexican government began to adopt a literacy program. She developed an interest in politics and was a pioneer for women in government after being elected as a city council representative in 1953. She spent much of her career fighting for the rights of women to be heard as equal citizens, and paved the way for new generations of Mexican women to run for political office.
Find out for yourself
If you feel inspired by reading about these incredible and fascinating women, why not take a vacation to Mexico and visit their legacies for yourself? When you’re booking your hoteles en Veracruz, consider a trip to the Frida Kahlo Museum and the Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz museum, which both lie between Veracruz and Mexico City, or take a trip to the East coast and explore Zihuatanejo, legendary home of Caritina Galeana Gomez.
There are many more female cultural icons and historical figures to discover, and their influence on the arts and the history of Mexico is both moving and inspiring, so expand your horizons beyond the familiar and get to know some of the greatest women in history.
A seventeenth-century nun, who is credited with being Mexico’s first feminist and an accomplished writer and poet. She was born c.1651 near the Popocatepetl Volcano. After a childhood in which she excelled at her studies, she adopted the life of a nun, claiming it was the only place she could find peace to write and continue her studies into literature, music, science, history and theology. She corresponded with leading figures on the outside world, and her writing was acclaimed as being both extraordinary and somewhat controversial. One of her most famous writings is a poem entitled You Foolish Men, in which she discusses the rights of women and the hypocritical attitudes of men in a country where prostitution was rife. Although she died over three centuries ago, her work is still studied, and she continues to have significant cultural influence.
Frida Kahlo
One of the most renowned and admired Mexicans of the Twentieth century, Kahlo was born in 1907 in Mexico City. She suffered a bout of polio when she was six that left her with a withered right leg and twisting of her spine and pelvis. She planned to become a doctor and studied medicine after leaving school. In 1925 she was almost killed in a horrific accident, and the surgeries, disabilities and chronic pain she suffered for the rest of her life are said to have inspired her surrealist paintings and her many self-portraits. She died in 1954, officially of natural causes but rumors of an overdose were rife. She was a forerunner of the feminist art movement and a pioneer in raising the profile of women artists in Mexico.
Caritina Galeana Gomez
Born in 1910, she became a teacher when the post-revolution Mexican government began to adopt a literacy program. She developed an interest in politics and was a pioneer for women in government after being elected as a city council representative in 1953. She spent much of her career fighting for the rights of women to be heard as equal citizens, and paved the way for new generations of Mexican women to run for political office.
Find out for yourself
If you feel inspired by reading about these incredible and fascinating women, why not take a vacation to Mexico and visit their legacies for yourself? When you’re booking your hoteles en Veracruz, consider a trip to the Frida Kahlo Museum and the Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz museum, which both lie between Veracruz and Mexico City, or take a trip to the East coast and explore Zihuatanejo, legendary home of Caritina Galeana Gomez.
There are many more female cultural icons and historical figures to discover, and their influence on the arts and the history of Mexico is both moving and inspiring, so expand your horizons beyond the familiar and get to know some of the greatest women in history.
