Hermila Galindo
Encyclopedia
Hermila Galindo de Topete (29 May 1896 – 1954) was a Mexican
feminist
and a writer who during the Mexican Revolution
became a public supporter of Venustiano Carranza
. She supported liberal
ideas and was part of a liberal group that was created to lobby against Porfirio Díaz
.
Born in Lerdo, Durango
, she was discovered by Carranza while giving a speech to welcome him upon his return to the capital. He then offered her the opportunity to work with him in Veracruz
. She then became his private secretary and continued rallying support for the Mexican woman and liberal ideologies.
After years of writing speeches, articles and treaties she created a magazine called La Mujer Moderna ("The Modern Woman"). Along with essays discussing feminist ideas, it also served as propaganda to support Carranza. The magazine also featured articles which expressed her disapproval of the Catholic Church and its methods of control. At the time her views of sex education and women's sexuality were considered to be extremely radical. Her approach seeking equality and women's rights were seen as controversial. During the Feminist Congress of 1916, César González, an education administrator for Carranza, read a statement in which Galindo attacks the male double standard in Mexico. After these statements were read, conservative women's groups went on the defensive and came back with a statement which supported the traditional role of women and opposed women's education. These counterattacks did not stop her. She continued to expose, challenge and question the problems that she saw existed in society.
She credited her work and pursuit of sex education for women to the philosophers August Bebel
and Immanuel Kant
. Her strong support for Carranza was evident in her writings, which expressed her faith in him and his potential to create a social revolution. Through him she believed that women could get the vote and that there was hope for social reform. In the end, Carranza failed to create the change he promised. Instead, because of corruption, he became an enemy of the revolution, and left Galindo disillusioned. She was unsuccessful in gaining suffrage for women
but her efforts and her openness to publicly criticize the Catholic Church and to challenge the conditions of women living in Mexico were an important contribution to the Mexican Revolution. She ended her career in politics after she married in 1923. She continued, however, to speak out against inequality and injustice.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
and a writer who during the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
became a public supporter of Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
. She supported liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
ideas and was part of a liberal group that was created to lobby against Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
.
Born in Lerdo, Durango
Durango
Durango officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is located in Northwest Mexico. With a population of 1,632,934, it has Mexico's second-lowest population density, after Baja...
, she was discovered by Carranza while giving a speech to welcome him upon his return to the capital. He then offered her the opportunity to work with him in Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. She then became his private secretary and continued rallying support for the Mexican woman and liberal ideologies.
After years of writing speeches, articles and treaties she created a magazine called La Mujer Moderna ("The Modern Woman"). Along with essays discussing feminist ideas, it also served as propaganda to support Carranza. The magazine also featured articles which expressed her disapproval of the Catholic Church and its methods of control. At the time her views of sex education and women's sexuality were considered to be extremely radical. Her approach seeking equality and women's rights were seen as controversial. During the Feminist Congress of 1916, César González, an education administrator for Carranza, read a statement in which Galindo attacks the male double standard in Mexico. After these statements were read, conservative women's groups went on the defensive and came back with a statement which supported the traditional role of women and opposed women's education. These counterattacks did not stop her. She continued to expose, challenge and question the problems that she saw existed in society.
She credited her work and pursuit of sex education for women to the philosophers August Bebel
August Bebel
Ferdinand August Bebel was a German Marxist politician, writer, and orator. He is best remembered as one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.-Early years:...
and Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant was a German philosopher from Königsberg , researching, lecturing and writing on philosophy and anthropology at the end of the 18th Century Enlightenment....
. Her strong support for Carranza was evident in her writings, which expressed her faith in him and his potential to create a social revolution. Through him she believed that women could get the vote and that there was hope for social reform. In the end, Carranza failed to create the change he promised. Instead, because of corruption, he became an enemy of the revolution, and left Galindo disillusioned. She was unsuccessful in gaining suffrage for women
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
but her efforts and her openness to publicly criticize the Catholic Church and to challenge the conditions of women living in Mexico were an important contribution to the Mexican Revolution. She ended her career in politics after she married in 1923. She continued, however, to speak out against inequality and injustice.