| The role of women in colonial Latin America was very | | | | 38).Unlike Iberian women, most indigenous and mestiza |
| much determined by what racial group and social class | | | | women were forced to work in order to survive and |
| they were born into. In her book, The Women of | | | | pay their tribute tax. Women who appeared in public |
| Colonial Latin America, Susan Migden Socolow | | | | frequently were suspected of being immoral and |
| identifies additional factors that caused differences in | | | | lacking in honor. Employment outside the home was |
| women's lives. These other factors include | | | | most usually an extension of female duties inside the |
| "demography, life cause, spatial variations, local | | | | home; that is, the women worked as domestic |
| economy, norm and reality, and change over time" | | | | servants, midwifes, "or self-employed washerwomen, |
| (Socolow 1).Socolow contends that among these | | | | candlemakers, laundresses, cleaning women, |
| additional variables, demography was the most | | | | seamstresses, weavers, embroiderers, nurses, and |
| important. This is due to the fact that the "ratio of men | | | | cooks" (Socolow 119).Although indigenous women |
| to women could enhance or limit women's choices" | | | | were exploited sexually and economically, they did |
| (Socolow 2). The experiences of women also | | | | possess some legal rights against abuse, which were |
| changed as they grew older and moved into different | | | | denied to enslaved women, i.e. African women. These |
| roles in life, e.g. from childhood to marriage to | | | | women were considered property and, as such, had |
| widowhood. The economy of the area where the | | | | "even less power to resist the sexual advances of |
| women lived also had an effect on them, since | | | | their masters than did Indian women" (Socolow 134). |
| women in a more prosperous area (especially elite | | | | Although there were laws to protect slaves from |
| women) lived more comfortably than their | | | | abuse, in the few instances where a slave woman |
| counterparts in less affluent areas. Socolow argues | | | | filed a complaint, it was usually dismissed because the |
| that these women did not always follow the social | | | | courts "gave precedence to a white man's testimony" |
| ideal of women imposed by the patriarchal society, | | | | (Socolow 134).However, enslaved women did enjoy |
| and of course there were different ideals for each | | | | some rights and privileges. In many circumstances, they |
| race and class of women. And lastly, these ideals of | | | | were allowed to sell their labor in the towns and keep |
| women, in some instances, changed over time.The | | | | some of their earnings for themselves. This allowed |
| social ideal for Iberian women, in the Old World and the | | | | them the opportunity to save money to buy their |
| New, was strongly influenced by the Islamic tradition, | | | | freedom. Other slave women could achieve |
| which was to keep the females cloistered in the home. | | | | manumission by forming sexual liaisons with their |
| Female virginity at the time of marriage also had an | | | | owners. Because of these relationships, many |
| effect on the family's honor and was strictly monitored. | | | | enslaved women were the heads of the households, |
| This was especially true of the women in the Spanish | | | | since paternity for the mulatto offspring was rarely |
| elite, although many women did find ways to evade | | | | acknowledged. Slave women were encouraged to |
| their chaperones to meet their lovers, as evidenced by | | | | marry by the Spanish crown and the Catholic Church, |
| the number of abandoned Spanish children. This | | | | although most of their white owners opposed this |
| cloistering of Iberian women was both a blessing and | | | | since it tended to make selling the slave more difficult. |
| curse; while they did not have freedom to move | | | | However, some slaves did marry but these were |
| around as the lower class women did, they did escape | | | | usually the slaves of "persons with higher social status" |
| the social stigma attached to women who did appear | | | | (Socolow 135).The convents in Latin America offered |
| on the streets. Also these Iberian women were not | | | | some freedoms for Spanish women during the colonial |
| expected to work, at least not outside the home. Elite | | | | times. Many elite women whose parents did not want |
| women did no work at all, other than supervising the | | | | to or could not provide a dowry for her were |
| work of the household servants and slaves. Iberian | | | | encouraged to become a nun. At this time, prospective |
| women also benefited from laws such as marriage | | | | nuns had to be white and have "purity of blood" |
| and inheritance laws that were not extended to the | | | | (Socolow 94). The calced convents required a dowry |
| other racial groups and social classes.The role of | | | | be given to the convent to support the woman; poor |
| women in pre-conquest Latin America varied | | | | Spanish women were "given special licenses to beg |
| according to the ethnic group she belonged to, but | | | | for alms in order to amass the requisite white-veil |
| many native societies "controlled female sexuality in | | | | dowry" (Socolow 96).The convent was structured |
| ways strikingly similar to the Spanish" (Socolow 19). | | | | hierarchically, consisting of black-veil nuns (who were |
| Unlike Spanish inheritance and property laws, "generally | | | | the elite women) and white-veil nuns. The discalced |
| land was held only by men" but women could own | | | | convents did not require dowries, but did ask for a |
| movable property (Socolow 21). Also like the Spanish, | | | | "yearly income to support the nun" (Socolow 97). The |
| indigenous peoples had a strict sexual division of labor, | | | | calced convents allowed nuns with property to |
| although their views of what was women's and men's | | | | manage their holdings also, which was usually not |
| labor differed from Spaniards, and even from region to | | | | allowed in the outside community. Nuns were allowed |
| region.After the arrival of the Spaniards, the role of | | | | to have slaves and servants in the convents with |
| indigenous women changed dramatically. The | | | | them. The convents also had educational opportunities |
| indigenous elite women became attractive marriage | | | | for women that they were not encouraged to pursue |
| candidates to non-elite Spanish men, because these | | | | in the colonial society. The convents became a refuge |
| women brought increased social status and wealth to | | | | for women and girls "in need of protection, shelter, and |
| the marriage. Elite Spanish men (the ones that | | | | support regardless of their marital state" (Socolow |
| participated in the conquest) took indigenous elite | | | | 103). In later times, convents designed for other races |
| women as concubines, but usually did not marry them. | | | | and classes were opened in Latin America, despite the |
| Non-elite women had a more difficult time as they | | | | opposition of the elite Spanish nuns.Many changes |
| were abused sexually and economically by the | | | | occurred during these women's lives, but the level of |
| Spanish conquerors.Mestiza women (those born from | | | | change was very closely determined by what race |
| Spanish-Indian unions) also were potential marriage | | | | and class she belonged to. During the Enlightenment |
| partners, especially those "who inherited from their | | | | period in Europe, the education of women became |
| conquistador fathers" (Socolow 37). Socolow | | | | more popularized. However in colonial Latin America, |
| contends that the mestizas' "wealth and perceived | | | | this education was confined to elite women and only |
| social status overcame any possible problems | | | | involved education in domestic responsibilities with just |
| associated with legitimacy and race" (Socolow 37). | | | | enough reading and writing so that they could |
| Many poor mestizas became concubines to the | | | | understand their religious studies. The lower classes |
| Spaniards, until Iberian women became numerous in | | | | remained largely illiterate.Socolow, Susan Migden. The |
| Latin America. As Latin America became more settled, | | | | Women of Colonial Latin America. Cambridge |
| the mestiza women found "their acceptance into | | | | University Press, 2000.Mary Arnold is an author on |
| Spanish society increasingly difficult" (Socolow | | | | which is a site for Creative Writers. |