Case study #15 The Pacific. Both sides of Feminism.

The Map is not the territory. Only tourists need maps.

Before the map of Australia was declared a Federated Nation, in 1886 the Temperance league in the colony of South Australia was founded. The league grew to have 39 departments including one for Aborigines, factories, legislation and petitions, narcotics, peace and arbitration, prison work, pure literature and art, suffrage, unfermented wine and work among barmaids. In addition to combatting alcoholism as the group’s first objective, because it often led to violence, including sexual violence, against women and children, they were instrumental in the women’s suffrage movement and the Great Petition, which has recently been rewritten and scrolled. Australia was the first country in the world to have the right for most women to vote and stand for parliament.

Right-wing women are viewed by some as an “oft-neglected subject … an important component in understanding the many racist, fascist, and anti-feminist movements of the 20th century.” Feminine Power and the Struggle Against Allende, 1964-1973 Margaret Power 2008.

The map below shows the route of the mass demonstration in March 1971 by Right-Wing Women, starting in Plaza Baquedano, point A. They were demonstrating against the food shortages, hyperinflation, and general chaos arising just 6 months after the election of President Salvador Allende. These women created the protest by banging the saucepan – casarolazo - to demonstrate the issues of the home economy in a socialist political economy. The Women were attacked by Allende supporters stationed at points B, who were mostly men, when they arrived at point C. Other Right Wing Women demonstrators were showered with building materials by construction workers (mostly men) from the roof of the UNCTAD III building, under construction, at point E. Later that day, two offices of a political party formerly affiliated with Allende’s UP party and now seen as class traitors were attacked by hundreds of Allende supporters at points F and G. The Women protesters could not reach the Presidential Building (H) to petition Latin America’s first democratically elected Marxist President about issues that affected women and children and the future of Chile. The police were protecting Allende from these angry and noisy women and so barricaded Alameda at points D. None of Allendes supporters were heard screaming Paco Culiao.

These 1970s women were similar in character to 19C Irene Morale who forced her way to the battlefront in the 1879-1883 Pacific War to fight for Chile's future and was recognized by General Baquedano who lead Chile to victory and to establish the current national borders. A street in Ground Zero is named after Irene Morales and supporters of President Boric want to change its name to Mauricio Fredes - a person who died on this street as a result of Left-Wing rioter's violence and destruction screaming Paco Culiao (raping sodomizing cop).