LAURA RODRÍGUEZ DULANTO - PERUVIAN REPUBLIC

After independence, the first years of republican Peru were marked by great political, economic, geographical, and social instability. There were wars with neighbor countries, and conflicts which we could say remain today. Some even consider the XIX century as a period of lost opportunities (for example, considering the guano wealth that multiplied the waste) and of huge corruption. Our society was marked by failure, constant loss of territory, which affects today's politics and social resentment.

It is difficult to speak of any era, even so, our purpose is not to emphasize those complicated chapters of history that are mentioned so much. Many stable campaigns of both economic and social reforms have sought to recover the damages that have remained unresolved. For this blog, we want to exalt the role of women during republican Peru, and for this, we will take Laura Rodríguez Dulanto as a reference.

Laura was born approximately in 1875 in the Department of Lima in a place that is currently called Campiña Baja, known for being the first place in Peru where the locals and neighbors proclaimed National Independence. It should be noted that at that time, there were no secondary schools for girls. Women were expected to learn to read and write and thus be ready for marriage. Even so, Laura stood out for being an extraordinary, intelligent, and focused woman. She was determined to be a doctor of Science and Medicine. In her early years with the help of her brother, she was forced to finish high school outstandingly by taking an exam before a special jury since there were no high schools for girls.

Later, thanks to her persistence, Laura entered the Faculty of Sciences of the National University of San Marcos in 1892 at the age of 19. Her merit led her to be a topic of conversation, and she was even mentioned in the newspaper El Comercio. Later she became the first Peruvian woman to study medicine. Without a doubt, Rodríguez is a clear example of the constant feminine fight against the various restrictions of a system for men. Her impetus led her to obtain a subsidy from the National Congress in addition to the special authorization of the Dean to be able to perform anatomical dissections. The aforementioned gave way to overcoming and left a base for Peruvian women who continued to fight for their dignity and professionalism. On the other hand, she contributed vigorously to the well-being and development of our national public health.

Other examples that demonstrate the resilience of women to achieve everything by themselves, despite the difficulties and existing prejudices, include the following:

• María Elena Moyano, a brave woman who fought against the "Shining Path" terrorist group. She took to the streets to protest along with many people who followed her through Villa el Salvador, making herself known as someone who fought for human rights, the rights of women, and against terrorism.

• Teresa Gonzáles de Fanning, a woman who, from a very young age, received a fairly advanced education, which allowed her to become interested in literary creation and essays. She founded a school for girls in her house with the help of her sisters, thus becoming a well-known school. They prepared their students for life far beyond being wives or mothers, breaking one of the mental schemes that existed in the 19th century.

• María Isabel Granda Larco, better known as "Chabuca Granda" was a woman who in her youth discovered her inclination for music, developed her talent, and through some of her lyrics, became the voice of those women who were slaves of society at that time. Chabuca Granda was a woman who faced the prejudices that society had about the woman of her time, without caring what she might think or say about her. She decided to follow her dreams and position herself as one of the highest representatives of Creole music, and thereby promoting the freedom and independence of women.

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Día de la Mujer: Las 10 mujeres más destacadas del Perú. (2020, February 13). La República Perú. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://larepublica.pe/sociedad/1426286-dia-mujer-10-mujeres-destacadas-peru-aatp/

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Díaz, H. (2007, May). Primera médica peruana, Dra. Laura Esther Rodríguez Dulanto (1872 – 1919). Scielo. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from http://www.scielo.org.pe/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1025-55832007000200011

Empresa Peruana de Servicios Editoriales S. A. EDITORA PERÚ. (2015). María Elena Moyano es recordada hoy a 30 años de su asesinato. Noticias | Agencia Peruana de Noticias Andina. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-maria-elena-moyano-es-recordada-hoy-a-30-anos-su-asesinato-881002.aspx

LLuen, C. (2021, March 9). Cinco mujeres peruanas que marcaron la historia del país. Universidad Católica Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from http://www.usat.edu.pe/articulos/cinco-mujeres-peruanas-que-marcaron-la-historia-del-pais/

María Elena Moyano (1958–1992). (2020, July 2). Mujeres Bacanas. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://mujeresbacanas.com/maria-elena-moyano-1958-1992-madre-coraje-era/

Parte V: La Época Republicana de Perú. (n.d.). Dos Manos Perú. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://www.dosmanosperu.com/es/peru-info/cultura/historia/epoca-republicana-peru/

Perú Republicano. (2020, July 26). Historia del Perú. Retrieved June 9, 2022, from https://historiadelperu.info/peru-republicano/#:%7E:text=El%20siglo%20XIX%20fue%20testigo,odios%20y%20tareas%20por%20resolver.