Perón, Evita and the Political Rights of the Argentinian Women

Abstract

Juan Domingo Perón’s first administration led to the basis of the civic rights of the Argentinian women. Both Eva Perón and the President were able to identify the opportunity and the potential of the female vote, in order to strengthen the electoral basis of the Peronist party and their heads. Although Evita could not be in an executive position in the presidential setting, a few things happened under her influence and leadership. Most importantly, the female Peronist party was created and the law of women’s right to vote was passed in 1947. Furthermore, the initiative of her nomination to the Vice Presidency was promoted with the support of CGT. The collaboration between Peron, Evita and the labor movement, transformed the second half of the forties of the twentieth century in the cradle of the implementation of the Argentinian civic equality, in terms of gender. Female voting rights gave Argentinian women a new status from which they could influence the politics and social life in their country, in addition to their influence on their family circle. In the 1951 elections, despite the death of Evita and her previous “renunciation” to be a Vice President candidate, Juan Perón was re-elected with a majority of female votes. Later, in 1973, Isabel Perón, Juan’s third wife, was elected as a Vice President right before the third Presidency of Juan Perón ‒ shaping the presidential formula Peron‒Peron. Later, Isabel will become the President of Argentina (1974‒1976), until she was overthrown in a military coup.