Amanda Labarca Hubertson (; 1886–1975), was a
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an diplomat, educator, writer and feminist. Her work was directed mainly at improving the situation of Latin American women and women's suffrage in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
.
She was born Pinto Sepúlveda in
Santiago, Chile
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital (political), capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated Regions of Chile, region, t ...
, on December 5, 1886. Labarca's parents were Onofre Pinto Perez de Arce and Sabina Sepulveda.
She adopted her husband's two surnames, Labarca Hubertson, after her marriage to Guillermo Labarca Hubertson during a trip to the U.S., amongst protest from her family.
Education
She received her early education at a school on San Isidro Street, in
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
, and then continued her education at the
Isabel Le Brun de Pinochet
Isabel Le Brun de Pinochet (''née'' Le Brun Reyes; bapt. 27 November 1845 – 25 June 1930), was a Chilean educationalist who led reform of education for girls in Chile.
Le Brun was born in San Felipe, Chile to French emigrant Jean-Baptis ...
Lyceum.
She obtained a BA in Humanities in 1902. In 1905 she graduated as a teacher of the State with a concentration in Castilian,
graduating from the Pedagogical Institute of the
University of Chile
The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843. .
In 1910, she traveled with her husband to the U.S. to continue her studies at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, and in 1912, in France at the
Sorbonne University
Sorbonne University (french: Sorbonne Université; la Sorbonne: 'the Sorbonne') is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sorbon ...
to major in education.
Career
In 1915, when Labarca was still a student, she organized the Reading Circle inspired by the Reading Clubs of America. This organization allowed her to bring education and culture to women regardless of their status, who at that time were excluded. From the Reading Circle she developed the
National Council of Women in 1919,
participating in it with Celinda Reyes. In 1922 she obtained the position of Extraordinary Professor of Psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy, Humanities and Education at the
University of Chile
The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843. .
She joined the
Radical Party as a militant. In 1922 she presented a project for improving the civil, political, and legal rights of women, which were restricted in the Civil Code of Chile (a struggle that would continue until the end of the century).
In 1925, she helped achieve the adoption of a legal decree known as the Maza Law (named after
Senator José Maza) in the Civil Code that restricted the powers of custody of the father in favor of the mother. It enabled women to testify before the law and authorized married women to manage the fruits of their labor. As an educator she promoted the creation of the Experimental Manuel de Salas Lyceum for the training of future teachers in 1932.
She was a founder of the
National Committee for Women's Rights, created in 1933, along with
Elena Caffarena
Elena Caffarena Morice (; March 23, 1903 - July 19, 2003) was a Chilean lawyer, jurist and politician. Contemporary historians and humanists consider her to be one of the most important 20th-century public figures in Chile.
Biography
Elena Caffa ...
and other women. She was appointed ambassador in 1946, by the government of President
Gabriel González Videla
Gabriel Enrique González Videla (; November 22, 1898 – August 22, 1980) was a Chilean politician and lawyer who served as the 24th president of Chile from 1946 to 1952. He had previously been a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 193 ...
, as the representative of
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
to the United Nations
and head of the Status of Women section.
She was also a literary critic and a writer, dealing especially with the role of women in society. She directed the Reading Circle newspaper, the Women's Action, which had outstanding participation in the struggle for women's suffrage
and fighting bribery (the sale of votes). As a result, in 1944, she was elected president of the
Chilean Federation of Feminine Institutions.
She established Summer Schools
at the
University of Chile
The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843. . She taught courses and seminars in countries throughout the Americas. In 1964 she was honored as an Academic Member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Chile, and, in 1969, the Academy of Political Science, Sociology and Morals at the Chilean Institute.
Legacy and recognition
She died in
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whose ...
on January 2, 1975, at 88 years of age.
Her legacy remains in many publications in favor of women's rights and education issues.
She was the first Latin American woman to pursue a university professorship.
She wrote numerous books on education and feminism.
In 1976, the University of Chile founded the Amanda Labarca Award in her memory, designed to recognize the merits of a college woman once a year.
Works
Her works include:
*''Actividades femeninas en Estados Unidos'' (1915) – ''Feminine activities in America''
*''Adónde va la mujer'' (1934) – ''Where does the woman go''
*''Feminismo contemporáneo'' (1948) – ''Contemporary Feminism''
Within her educational life she wrote:
*''Bases para una política educacional'' (1944). – ''Foundations for an educational policy''
*''Historia de la enseñanza en Chile''(1948) – ''History of education in Chile''
*''Impresiones de juventud'' – ''Youthhood Perspectives''
*''Meditaciones breves'' – ''Brief meditations''
*''Perspectiva de Chile'' – ''Perspective of Chile''
*''En tierras extrañas'' – ''In a strange lands''
*''La lámpara maravillosa'' – ''The Wonderful Lamp''
*''Cuentos a mi señor'' – ''Tales for my lord''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Labarca, Amanda
1886 births
1975 deaths
Chilean diplomats
Chilean educators
Chilean women educators
Chilean suffragists
People from Santiago
Chilean women writers
Chilean women diplomats
Chilean non-fiction writers
Chilean feminist writers