María Parado de Bustamante

Peruvian poet and educator who championed women's education in 19th-century South America

María Parado de Bustamante (1839–1912) was a Peruvian poet, educator, and suffragette who fought for women's access to higher education. Defying societal expectations, she published her first collection of feminist poetry "The Voice of Reason" in 1868, arguing for equal educational opportunities. In 1885, she co-founded the Female Normal School of Lima, one of Latin America's first institutions offering university-level education to women. Her 1892 manifesto "Women's Right to Knowledge" influenced educational reforms across Andean countries. Though largely excluded from male-dominated literary circles, her work is now recognized as foundational to Peruvian feminist thought. The Maria Parado de Bustamante Library in Arequipa honors her legacy.