Las Madres De Plaza De Mayo Essay

Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo was a movement in Argentina during the years of 1976 and 1983 (Becker, 288). During the time of the Argentine “Dirty War,” many children were taken from their families by the military (Becker, 288). These boys and girls came from families of “rebels,” and were given to families in support of the war (Becker, 288). Mothers endlessly searched for their children with no luck. They became frustrated and upset at their country for hurting them so badly. Finally, on April 20, 1977, the mothers came together and marched down to the Plaza de Mayo and denounced the Argentine military government for their wrong doings (Becker, 288). These mothers stepped out of their assigned gender roles and fought for justice for their children …show more content…
When we take time to analyze what these women did for their families, we see that these actions came during a time when it was not appropriate for a woman, much less a mother and wife, to leave her home. These women stepped out of their assigned gender roles to fight for change and action in a public place. This movement sort of normalized a protesting woman, a woman who has opinions on political issues. They began to campaign, away from their home, causing younger girls to see that it was okay to fight for a cause. Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo are often described as the most compelling image to emerge from this era (Miller, 2). They were women who were raised on the idea that their main job is to be homemakers, to care for their husbands and children (Miller, 2). They were also raised to believe that the government protects its citizens above all (Miller, 2). When they saw that the very system that was supposed to care for them was ripping away what they loved and cherished the most, they felt threatened (Miller, 2). With this sense of threat came the desire to hold the government accountable for their actions (Miller, 2). Thus, they began to protest and the Madres de Plaza de Mayo came about (Miller,