Latin American Gender Roles

Gender and Religion in Colonial Latin America Women make up half of the world’s population today, however the role of women in history has been limited. It has been noted that Latin American women in colonial times experienced more rights compared to other women in the world. Although these women had more rights there were still gender restrictions. Women in colonial Latin America had the option of choosing two roles. These roles were to become a married woman or to become a nun. The two primary sources of Santa Rosa of Lima, and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, help explain the role and perception of nuns during this time. Santa Rosa of Lima was a nun who was canonized during the seventeenth century. The primary source is a testimony of Santa Rosa’s life from a witness that housed her. At a young age, Santa Rosa
This primary source was a letter to Filotea. Sor Juana’s letter demonstrates how she had the ability to become very knowledgeable on countless subjects. Sor Juana stated that attaining such knowledge was punishable, yet she continued to pursue her studies in the name of God. Sor Juana stated that she had even begged her mother to dress her in male attire so she would have the opportunity to pursue an education. This document serves to explain that as a nun, Sor Juana was given more rights than a marriage would have granted her. In Sor Juana’s letter she spoke out and addressed the need for education for women as she states “Had Aristotle cooked, he would have written a great deal more.” This would be considered highly controversial since Sor Juana was so outspoken. Sor Juana’s outspokenness could be the reason why she did not receive sainthood. Nonetheless, Sor Juana’s source contributes to offer an understanding of women in colonial times, and why some choose to become nuns, and what rights they had and did not