Rosa Amelia Guzmán facts for kids

Rosa Amelia Guzmán was an important woman from El Salvador. She was a journalist, a feminist, and a suffragette. This means she wrote for newspapers, believed in equal rights for women, and fought for women to have the right to vote.

In 1950, Rosa Amelia gave a powerful speech to a group called the Constituent Assembly. This speech was super important! It helped women not only get the right to vote but also become full citizens on September 14. She was also one of the first four women ever chosen to be part of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador, which is like the country's parliament.

Fighting for Women's Rights

Even as early as 1935, Rosa Amelia Guzmán was already making a difference. She joined other smart women in El Salvador, like Claudia Lars and Matilde Elena López. They had radio shows on El Salvador's first private radio station, La Voz de Cuscatlán. On these shows, they talked about important social and political issues.

In 1945, Rosa Amelia and another woman named Ana Rosa Ochoa started a newspaper called Tribuna Femenina. This newspaper was the official voice of a group called the Association of Democratic Women of El Salvador. Their main goal was to get all women the right to vote in a fair and democratic country.

Two years later, in 1947, Rosa Amelia, Ana Rosa, and others helped create a new group called the Liga Femenina Salvadoreña (LFS), which means the Salvadoran Feminist League. Later that same year, Rosa Amelia and Ana Rosa went to a big meeting in Guatemala City. It was called the First Inter-American Women's Congress. They talked about ways to create peace around the world, how to get women the right to vote in different countries, and how to protect people's freedoms.

Making Women Full Citizens

The LFS officially became a recognized organization in 1948. After that, they started looking closely at the laws. They wanted to find ways to better protect the rights of women and children. This included their rights to money, jobs, and being involved in government.

In 1950, Rosa Amelia and the LFS pushed hard for Reynaldo Galindo Pohl, who was in charge of the Constituent Assembly, to give women the right to vote. They succeeded in getting laws changed so women could vote! However, women still couldn't be members of parliament or president because they weren't considered full citizens yet.

Rosa Amelia Guzmán didn't give up. She presented strong arguments to the lawmakers. She convinced them that all Salvadorans over 18 should have equal citizenship, no matter if they were male or female. Because of her efforts, this change to the country's constitution happened on September 14, 1950. That day is now celebrated as the day of "legal equality for Salvadoran women."

Continuing Her Work

After their big success, the LFS then worked to create rules to protect children's rights. This included children born outside of marriage, orphans, and young people who had gotten into trouble.

In the same year, the Tribuna Femenina newspaper changed its name to Heraldo Femenino. It also started to cover more topics, including how women could earn equal pay for their work. Around this time, Rosa Amelia's name started appearing as Rosa Amelia Guzmán de Araujo. This was because she had married Arturo Araujo, who used to be the president and was an engineer. They had one child together, named Armando Araujo.

In 1956, Rosa Amelia Guzmán de Araujo, along with Inés Inocente González, Blanca Ávalos de Méndez, and María Isabel Rodríguez, made history. They were chosen to be the first female Deputies in the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador. This was a huge step for women in politics!

When her husband passed away in 1967, Rosa Amelia Guzmán de Araujo faced financial difficulties. Because of her important work for the country, the Legislature voted to give her a small monthly payment of ₡300 to help her.

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See also

In Spanish: Rosa Amelia Guzmán para niños