Revolutionizing Motherhood: The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo

by Marguerite Guzmán Bouvard

Revolutionizing Motherhood examines one of the most astonishing human rights movements of recent years. During the Argentine junta's Dirty War against subversives, as tens of thousands were abducted, tortured, and disappeared, a group of women forged the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and changed Argentine politics forever. The Mothers began in the 1970s as an informal group of working-class housewives making the rounds of prisons and military barracks in search of their disappeared children. As they realized that both state and church officials were conspiring to withhold information, they started to protest, claiming the administrative center of Argentina the Plaza de Mayo for their center stage. In this volume, Marguerite G. Bouvard traces the history of the Mothers and examines how they have transformed maternity from a passive, domestic role to one of public strength. Bouvard also gives a detailed history of contemporary Argentina, including the military's debacle in the Falklands, the fall of the junta, and the efforts of subsequent governments to reach an accord with the Mothers. Finally, she examines their current agenda and their continuing struggle to bring the murderers of their children to justice.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Latin American History, Social Movements, Feminism, Politics, Anthropology

292 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Marguerite Guzman Bouvard was born in Trieste Italy. She is a former professor of Political Science and poetry workshops, and the author of 20 books in the fields of politics, women's rights, human rights, grief, illness and spirituality.

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would best be described as Gonzo journalism, in which the writer embeds herself in the struggle of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, losing all objectivity and including first-person narration. The style of the book, exploring aspects of the Mothers' struggle and campaign, brought up a lot of fascinating parts, and it was a great source for a paper I'm writing quotes-wise, but I think that it included far too much editorializing throughout. One point really annoyed me, when Bouvard spoke about the youth group that the Mothers associated with, painting them as corrupted by the Left in the way that she argued the media had previously done.
I do appreciate, however, that Bouvard included some quotes from critics of the mothers (though she immediately refuted them), going over their reasoning, even if many were government sources. It's interesting to see the complex dynamics of Argentinian politics, and their unique parties and tensions. Bouvard includes a lot of history and background on the Dirty War which was useful for my essay and interesting in general.
Bouvard is also clear in her source citing and notes, with a wide array of sources — from newspapers to the Mothers she interviewed to the government law. I do think that at times she should have been clearer in what is the Mothers' views and what is her own opinion, as at times it got to editorializing.
But overall, this was a really interesting read, and very helpful for my project! I learned a lot.

[Richard Hessney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recently in Buenos Aires and learned about the Disappeared, the thirty thousand or so people who were kidnapped, tortured and killed by the military regime that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. Few of the missing have been identified. The regime took great care to dispose of the bodies without a trace; after all, "no body no crime."

In response, ordinary mothers of the missing -- mostly leftist activists, journalists, lawyers, students, etc. -- began to gather at the Plaza de Mayo in front of the Presidential Palace in central Buenos Aires to protest peacefully and seek information about the whereabouts of their children. At first they achieved little and were at times attacked by police with clubs and dogs to disperse them. Gradually, they got more public support and attracted the attention of international rights organizations. All of this put more pressure on the junta, and news of their crimes became public.

This well-written book is their story -- one of inspiring courage, perseverance, and the power of a mother's love in the face of political oppression and state violence. Incidentally, there is evidence in a Wikipedia article on the military regime that Sec. of State Henry Kissinger knew of and signed off on the plan to arrest "communists and terrorists." The United States Government was aware of what was going on.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the Dirty War in Argentina, perhaps 30,000 people were "disappeared" by the repressive right-wing military junta. The mothers of the disappeared refused to go away quietly. Their search for answers turned into one of the best known/imitated grass roots movements for truth in modern history. This book looks at some of the individual mothers and what kept them fighting against all odds.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I assigned this book for an undergraduate class and the students didn't like it as much as I had hoped. It does provide a useful analysis of the group (mothers of the plaza de mayo)and a clear historical context.

[Heather Ingerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic reminder of how in the volitile political enviorment of South America, people sometimes "disappear".

[L-J Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would have been a better article than a book.