A book based on research by a woman academic at the University of Sheffield has been published, celebrating 100 women who have shaped the history and society of Latin America.
Released as part of the centenary celebrations of Billiken children’s magazine, the illustrated book represents the diversity of women’s experiences, the challenges they have faced and their achievements in Latin America and across the world.
Important research from Sheffield's Dr Rea
Co-authored by Dr Lauren Rea from the University of Sheffield’s School of Languages and Cultures, the book stems directly from her research into the representation of gender roles within Billiken.
Titled 100 Grandes Mujeres Latinoamericanas, the book features inspirational women, including political leaders, independence revolutionaries, sportswomen, activists, artists, writers, scientists, entrepreneurs and pioneers of feminism.
Alongside well-known figures such as Eva Perón and Frida Kahlo, the book also profiles women whose achievements have not been as widely recognised. Historical women featured include; Ecuador’s Hermelinda Urvina, the first Latin American woman to hold a professional pilot’s license; Argentine sculptor Lola Mora; and El Salvador’s Prudencia Ayala, who put herself forward for the Presidency at a time women did not have the vote.
The book also showcases the impact that Latin American women are having today by highlighting women such as Carolina Contreras from the Dominican Republic, a social entrepreneur active in the natural hair movement who is working to build girls’ esteem by challenging Eurocentric beauty standards; Amalia Dutra, a Uruguayan biologist who worked on the Human Genome Project; and María del Carmen Fleytas who is leading jaguar conservation in Paraguay.
Dr Rea, who is Senior Lecturer in Latin American Studies at the University of Sheffield, is seeing her research have a sustained and meaningful impact on Biliken magazine’s publisher, Editorial Atlántida, helping shape plans for the future of the brand.
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