Juana Manuela Gorriti

A Peruvian writer and publisher who pioneered women's journalism and education in 19th century Latin America.

Juana Manuela Gorriti (1816–1892) was a visionary Peruvian writer and publisher whose work transformed intellectual discourse in South America. Born in Jujuy (now Argentina), she became a leading figure in the region's independence movements through her 1843 newspaper El Peru Literal, which promoted nationalist ideas and women's participation in public life.

Her 1845 novel La Habana was one of the first works by a Latin American woman to be published in multiple countries. Gorriti's 1850 educational treatise Enseñanza de las Mujeres argued for coeducational schools, challenging the era's gendered learning spaces. She founded the Female Literary Society in 1853 to train women as teachers and journalists.

As a publisher in 1860s Lima, she championed indigenous rights and anti-slavery causes through her press. Her 1870 anthology Voces de las Mujeres featured writings by 50 female authors, creating a literary network across the Andes. Her 1880 memoir My Life as a Woman remains a primary source on 19th century gender roles.

Her influence extended to modern education systems - the Gorriti Pedagogical Model is still used in Bolivian teacher training (MINEDU). The Latin American Women's Writers Archive credits her with creating the region's first feminist literary canon (LAWWA).

Contemporary scholars highlight her 1865 article Women's Right to Vote as a precursor to suffrage movements. Her advocacy for women's access to universities predated most Western institutions. The UNESCO report on South American education cites her as a pioneer (UNESCO).

Gorriti's legacy is preserved in the National Gorriti Library in La Paz, which houses her manuscripts. Her work remains relevant in debates about gender representation in media (Gorriti Institute).