Women's Rights in Argentina | Page 6

Maria Eva Duarte de Peron was born on May 7th, 1919 in Los Toldos, Province of Buenos Aires. Evita came from very humble beginnings, which most likely explains her political base of low-income and working class Argentines, often referred to as the "shirtless ones." Her father was somewhat of an influential figure in Argentine politics, earning the title of Deputy Justice of the Peace in 1908. He died tragically in a car crash when Evita was only 7 years old, which caused the family economic and

emotional strife.

Youngest of five children, Evita eventually moved herself to the nation's capital of Buenos Aires to pursue a career as a film actress. In 1944, she met Colonel Juan Peron at a charity event benefitting the earthquake vistims of San Juan. One year later, they married; the year after that, Colonel Juan Peron was elected Presidnet of Argentina. Over the next 6 years, Evita Peron championed the women's suffrage movement, and eventually founded and ran the nation's first large-scale female political party - the Female Peronist Party.