“..the rabonas were of indigenous or mestizo origin. While they were not officially linked to the army, they fulfilled typically nurturing roles such as providing sustenance and clothing, participating in military activities, and responding to the soldiers’ sexual needs.”
“While the rabonas never became formal participants, they established themselves as the soldiers’ companions, ‘‘in this way compensating for the absence of family’’; they came to be called rabonas because they marched last, bringing up the rear, or tail (the rabo), in military caravans.”
“...rabonas work and sacrifice themselves for the good of the soldiers despite receiving nothing in return: they approach the townspeople in order to gather provisions; bear children; care for them; plus, they carry arms, and withstand inclement weather.”
The role of "rabonas" in the described historical context is complex and reveals the gender inequalities present in that time. Although these women provided essential support to the soldiers, both in terms of sustenance and emotional support, they were in a subordinate position and received little acknowledgement or reciprocity.
It is troubling that these women were asked to fulfill multiple roles, including caring for the soldiers, satisfying their sexual needs, and providing logistical support, without receiving adequate compensation. This dynamic reinforces the idea of women as providers of services and objects of male satisfaction, rather than recognizing them as individuals with their own needs and rights.
Although their contribution often went unnoticed in official history, it is important to acknowledge and honor the role of these women as a significant support and help in times of need. Their silent labor and dedication ought to be recognized as a testament to the strength and tenacity of Peruvian women throughout that time period.
“In the 19th century, the role of women in the public sphere began to change. Women were not considered capable of participating in public debates or as subjects of rights. In Peru, this reality began to change with Enlightenment thinking. The press and literature played a central role in the emancipation of women. These women writers constructed different models of femininity, and in some cases, their positions caused scandals, disapproval, and even exile.
From the 1840s onwards, novels and other writings by women authors started to appear. Among them was the Argentine writer Juana Manuela Gorriti (1816-1892), who went into exile in Peru. In 1845, she published her first story, "La quena," in the Revista de Lima. In her writings, she presented marginalized characters and placed women as part of the historical drama.
(...) The Construction of Femininity
The women of 19th-century Lima were called the "fair sex," an attribute appreciated but also feared and, therefore, controlled through moral precepts and power practices. The discourses praising women for their aesthetic qualities were accompanied by recommendations for modesty, industriousness, and even emulation of saints or, failing that, early marriage. As a result, girls' education was primarily directed at making them good wives. (...)”
- Vanesa Miseres (2012) On a Republic in Ruins: Flora Tristan's Peregrinations of a Pariah and the Role of the Rabonas in Nineteenth-Century Peru
- Google Arts & Culture. Pensadoras peruanas del siglo XIX - Google Arts & Culture. (2013). Google Arts & Culture; Google Arts & Culture. https://artsandculture.google.com/story/peruvian-female-thinkers-of-the-19th-century/PgVxfbTnXZ4yrA
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