Hello, Germ readers! Today I have the pleasure of writing about one of my all-time favorite Badass Ladies in History: Eva Duarte de Perón, first lady of Argentina, actress, woman’s right activist, and all around amazing person. OhmygoodnessIlovehersomuch! (Okay, calm down. Breathe, Priscilla).
Eva Duarte de Perón was the youngest of five children, born on May 7, 1919, in the village of Los Toldos, Argentina. Her father had two families: one with his wife and the other with his mistress, Eva’s mother. Although he divided his time between each family, he eventually abandoned Eva’s mother and his illegitimate children.
After Eva’s father died in a car accident, her family fell on hard times, and around the age of fifteen, Eva left home to become an actress in Buenos Aires. Eva was able to get small roles in plays and low budget films until she found stable work as a radio actress in radio drama. By the early 1940s, she was making a good enough living to afford a comfortable apartment in Buenos Aires.
On January 22, 1944, Eva attended a gala at the Luna Park Stadium in Buenos Aires, and there she met Colonel Juan Perón, who was then in charge of the Ministry of Labor. They quickly entered a romantic relationship, and in 1945, they married — despite the negativity concerning the difference in their ages (she was 24 and he was 48 when they met). Soon after the wedding, Juan Perón began his presidential campaign, and Eva was heavily invested, promoting him on the radio and being his support on the campaign trail.
After Perón won with a 52% vote, Eva was able to use her position as first lady to advocate for the causes that were dear to her, including women’s suffrage and improving the lives of the poor. While her husband was president, Eva eventually became the unofficial leader of the Ministry of Health and Labor, and she became her husband’s right hand woman; he sought her counsel and was also influenced by what she believed in. Eva was adored by her people, especially the poor, and was known to the public as a skilled orator who advocated for the well-being of others.
Shortly after Perón became president, Law 13,010 — which granted women in Argentina the right to vote — was passed. Although it wasn’t just Eva’s influence that helped women gain the right to vote in Argentina, Eva and her husband put immense political weight on the issue. Soon after, Eva founded the Female Peronist Party, which encouraged women to register to vote and become educated about their government.
In 1948, Eva founded the Eva Perón Foundation after being snubbed by wealthy society ladies. Normally, the first lady was invited by the women of the society to become the head of The Society of Beneficence, a charitable foundation, but the women refused her the position because she was too young. After being told this, Eva created her own foundation, with the first 10,000 peso donation coming from Eva, personally. Shortly after, it would become supported by the government, unions, and private donations.
Eva’s work at the foundation marks her greatest life achievement. She put in tireless hours and worked to see the foundation become a success in helping the less fortunate. By 1950, the foundation was giving away hundreds of thousands of shoes, cooking pots, and sewing machines to the poor. It helped provide pensions for the elderly, gave thousands of Argentinians jobs at the foundation, gave homes to the poor, and helped establish schools and libraries. Knowing what it was like to grow up poor, Eva understood the true realities of what the Argentinian lower class had to go through. Even after her health declined, she still put in 20 hour work days in order to promote relief for those who walked through her foundation’s doors.
In 1952, Perón was up for re-election, and Eva became his running mate for vice president. Although the working class adored Eva and supported her run for the vice-presidency, the army and upper classes were not happy with the idea of her becoming president if her husband were to die. Eva did not care for their opinions, but she eventually stepped down due to the rapid decline in her health. It was not a secret to the public that Eva was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 1950; she often needed help while making public appearances and tired easily. In June 1952, Eva was granted the title of “Spiritual Leader of the Nation,” and a short month after, she lost her battle with cancer. She was 33 years old. Her death was announced on the radio, and the nation went into a period of mourning, knowing that they had lost one of the most important figures of their time. Eva was granted a funeral fit for a head of state, which shows how much her public and her people adored who she was and what she did for them.
Eva’s legacy still lives on in Argentina. Her people, who simply call her by her affectionate name, “Evita,” view her almost as a patron saint of their country. She is still popular among tourists and locals, and every year thousands of Argentinians visit her grave to leave flowers and presents. Evita lives on in the stories told of her in her country as well as in books, films, and the 1978 musical play by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice known as Evita.
Evita’s story is one that inspires not only those in Argentina, but also those who can relate to her struggle. Even though Evita was born illegitimate in her family, grew up poor, was scandalized for being an actress turned first lady, and was “too young” for people to take seriously, she eventually became a true testament of defying all odds as well as a testament of the good that people can do when given the opportunity to do so. She is a beacon of hope for anyone who refuses to believe that their position or class will not define who they will become; if Evita could grow up to become such a powerful political influence, then surely others can defy the odds as well.
So three cheers to Evita Duarte de Perón! A woman who overcame her struggle and the negativity from those around her in order to help her people in the short time she was alive. She really is one beautiful badass lady our history is truly fortunate to have.