Ecuador: A look at feminist history

In this op-ed, writer Bani Amor explains how Ecuador’s feminist past built its present and contributes to its future. teenvogue.com

In May of 1944, when fascism was a malignant threat around the world at the height of World War II, a young Ecuadorian feminist writer named Nela Martínez led a takeover of the Government Palace to overthrow Carlos Arroyo del Río, who many considered a dictator. It was a springtime of resistance — not far away, Indigenous rights activist Dolores Cacuango led a charge of native agitators of a government military base, and the country was never the same.

The Glorious May Revolution, as it came to be known, marked a turning point in history, and relied on the fierce determination of young, visionary feminists.

After the palace takeover in 1944, she became the first woman to serve in Ecuador’s Congress. (Today, about 40 percent of our congress is made up of women, ranking 20th in women’s governmental leadership worldwide. The U.S. comes in at number 100.) Read Article

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