Argentinian and Mexican women against fascism: gender and politics in the 1930s

The development of anti-fascist organizations and the presence of women in these organizations took place in a global environment marked by economic depression and the political and military rise of fascism. The world drama profoundly affected the Latin American settings; the Mexican and Argentinian societies exhibited identity constructions in which the presence of the Spanish and Italian immigration was pivotal, even if the historical depth differed. This plot unfolded in a period which brought social conflict - especially workers', women's, and popular conflict - to the forefront. This led to a myriad of collective experiences, whose expressions were transformed in face of the commotion signified by the defeat of the Spanish Republic and the beginning of the Second World War. The anti-fascist activism and the characteristics of female militancy constitute an approach to following this path. The Argentinian case developed amid fraudulent and repressive governments; in Mexico, Cardenas's reforms seemed to promote a class struggle which affected the whole of social life, and women were not separate from it. In both countries, there were important women's movements which shared a previous tradition in the battle for suffrage, but this demand declined in favor of the anti-fascist struggle. The leaders of these organizations had an internationalist perspective and built strong bonds with kindred entities from Europe and Anglo-Saxon America. Focusing on the experience of the actors, we will consider the anti-fascist female agency, hoping to contribute to a women's and gender history that shows how local experiences shape and are shaped by widely shared processes.