(en) Brazil, N?cleo Anarquista Resist?ncia Cabana NARC - Puxirum #1 - MARIA DE Moura Lacerda by A Brazilian anarchist (pt)

One of the themes of the history of labor movement and particularly of anarchism, which 
until now has been little researched is the presence of women. In the history of anarchism 
and socialism in their Overall, the activity of women, while not rare, is significantly 
lower than the male. There are plenty of reasons explaining this fact. first place in the 
composition of the working that would generate these movements, percentage of women was 
over many decades, far below the men. On the other hand, culture reactionary family, or 
coated conservative values ??, was well present in the working world of the century 
Nineteenth and early twentieth century, causing women ran out, even in movements social, 
being pushed into subordinate position, linked to old prejudices associated with ideas 
like "feminine weakness" paper "maternal" women, or their "passivity".

It is true that in many cases was
- just as the historical division of roles
social that relegated women to
a domestic function
contradicted, or hindered, their
social activism. Perhaps this is why, among
women who stood out
the anarchist movement, there is a
large number of characters
Women who opted for a life
independent personnel where
marriage and family relationships more
traditional, or even motherhood,
were rejected on behalf of
freedom and autonomy.

Clear that the role of
companions and accomplices -
sentimental and ideas - the
anarchists, and militant workers
in general, was of such standard that
constituted by itself a
prominent female presence in
movement. Although feminism
pseudo - radical, unable to locate
historical and cultural relations
gender, see this relationship or
traditional aspects of relations
within families of militants
workers and anarchists proof
irrefutable maintaining values
sexist and subjection of women
the anti-bourgeois movements.
The anti-capitalist working class culture
always sought to make rights

and the intrinsic specific
women. It was also common in
press and libertarian literature,
critique of family institutions, the
bourgeois marriage and the defense of
thematization free love, that some
individualistic thinkers reached
give special prominence. It was the case of
Emile Armand and Han Ryner. women
libertarian, as Emma Goldman,
also gave particular attention
the topic.

Despite all this, names like
Mary Wollstonecraft, mate
William Godwin and the precursor
feminism, Flora Tristan, Louise
Michel, Voltarine of Cleyre, Lucy
Parsons, Tereza Mane, Federica
Monteseny, May Picqueray, Giovanna
Caleffi and Luce Fabbri left
deep marks in the movements
social and libertarian thought
their respective countries. In Brazil
Edgar Rodrigues, in his book " The
Mates ", which brings together five
volumes extensive research
biography of anarchist militants,
list the names of 52 women who
had particular relevance
social movement in the period
the late nineteenth century to the mid-
twentieth century.
Among these women, Maria
Lacerda de Moura deserves a place at
part, not only by his personality
combative, by its multiple activity
a writer and lecturer, as the
highlighted that came to have, not only in
Brazil, as in other countries
South America, and their texts
disclosed in Portugal, France and,
mainly in Spain. nee
Minas Gerais in the May 16, 1887,
early age became interested in
social thought and the ideas
anticlerical. He graduated from the School
Normal of Batley in 1904
starting just to teach this
same school. Starts then a
work among the women of the region,
encouraging a campaign for
housing construction for
needy population of the city.
He participated in the founding of the League Against
Illiteracy. As an educator,
adopted the libertarian pedagogy
Francisco Ferrer y Guardia. after
move to S?o Paulo, began to
tutoring and collaborating in
worker and anarchist press
Brazilian and international. In the newspaper " The
Plebe " ( SP ) wrote mainly
about pedagogy and education. their
articles were also published by
independent newspapers and progressive,
as" The Fighter ", S?o Paulo, and
Cear? " " (1928 ), Fortaleza, of
where extracted text " Feminism ?
Charity ? ", As well as different
newspaper workers and anarchists from all over
Brazil.

An active lecturer, came to
themes such as education, rights of
woman, free love, combat
fascism and antimilitarism becoming
known not only in Brazil, but
in Uruguay and Argentina,
where he was a guest of
anarchist groups and local unions.
Between 1928 and 1937, the libertarian activist
lived in a community
Guararema ( SP ), the period over
its intense intellectual activity,
Having described this period as a
time that was " free schools
free churches, free of dogma, free
academies, free of crutches, free
losses governmental, religious and
social ".

Maria Lacerda de Moura can be
considered one of the pioneers of
Feminism in Brazil and one of the few
activists directly involved
with the labor and trade union movement.
Among his numerous books
include: " education " Around
(1918 ); " The modern woman and her
role in modern society " (1923 ) ;
" Love you and not multipliqueis " (1932 ) ;
" Han Ryner and love plural " (1928 ) and
" Fascism : Beloved son of the Church and
Capital " ( s / d ).

Maria Lacerda de Moura is
virtually unknown in Brazil,
where a certain feminism seems
want to hide that which would be
the first and most important
activists of the causes of women,
but never recognized in the State,
in law and professional access
bourgeois to his cause. In fact, it
is because, first of all, via
generously the feminist struggle as
integral part of fighting social
shared equally by men
women engaged in the struggle for
elimination of all exploration,
injustice and prejudice. Maybe so
same, it is still a symbol
nuisance to society
conservative, even for the current
Feminist conservatism, mere
social ambition of middle class
Search your place in the sun in the State and
in capitalism, as for
suffragettes of the middle class and
elites of his time. The militant
anarchist died in 1945, in Rio de
January.

" I " undesirable " I'm with
free individualists who dream more
high, a society where there is bread for
all mouths, where they enjoy all
human energies, where one can sing
hymn to the joy of living in the expansion of all
the internal forces, a higher sense -
to an increasingly broad restrictions
society over the individual."
Maria Lacerda de Moura