Brazil Women's Suffrage Movement

Brazil has a long and complicated history, naturally the history of women in Brazil is no different. Since the discovery of Brazil women have played a key role in the development and success of this South American country. From the coffee rush, to the discovery of gold, women have been a crucial part of the history of Brazil. The Women's Suffrage movement was a result of the influence of powerful educated women, the industrial revolution, and the global suffrage movement.

Expectations of Women
Women were expected to have personal commitments to their families, but none to the public world. they were expected to be homemakers, mothers, domestic servants, as well as many other traditional female jobs. They were not encouraged to go to school,
The rate of literacy for women in cities was higher than it was in rural areas, however it still was nowhere near what it should have been at the time. In Brazil female education was very rare, as girls were not educated beyond prayer books. Many Brazilians even believed that it was a crime for a woman to be literate. In the late 1800s it was said that women were taught only what they were expected to need for functioning in society. The emphasis remained on the needle, not the pen. Even the arithmetic required in girls’ schools were less advanced than that mandated for boys. The only way for girls to receive equal or better education was by being educated at home or in private schools which were oriented for the wealthy upper class
It was the beginning of industrialization in brazil which meant that life altering inventions were introduced including new forms of communication and advancements in transportation. These technologies brought new ideas into daily Brazilian life. The growth of the nation was stimulated by this new era, cities which were once old and broken were now new and thriving. New lights were added on streets, trees were planted, and public spaces were blooming. New travelers flocked to Brazil to see what had become of this “country without a memory”. For the first time in a long time the future looked bright for Brazil. When World War I came around things were changing dramatically. Many members of the middle classes were put in precarious economic positions during the inflation-ridden years. Prior to this time women were praised for being idle and working in the home, but World War I helped society take a turn. Unmarried women were praised for contributing to society and having jobs. Their work helped boost the economy and was seen as a positive thing. Many women even achieved high-level government service positions which taught necessary organization skills and determination as well as the personal contacts to lead a successful women’s suffrage campaign. Professional women took it upon themselves to advocate for the cause. They believed they were aiding the cause by