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