P

rudencia Ayala was the first woman in the history of El

Salvador who aspired to be presidential candidate. Her life is
pretty interesting and all us ought to know a little bit about it.

Firstly, she was born on April 25th in 1885 and died in 1936. Her
native place was Sonzacate in Sonsonate Department. She grew up
inside a poor family and she studied until the first years of primary
education. Despite that, she was a person whom highlighted by her
interest in literature and the intellectual atmosphere. She wrote
several books, among these are: "Inmortal Amores de Loca" in 1925 (Inmortal Love from Crazy
Woman) and "Payaso Literario en Combate" in 1928 (Literarian Clown Fighting) 1. On these
books, she explored a variety of topics and genres, although mainly her subjects were politican.

At twelve years old, she realized that she had ability in the
practice of clairvoyance. In fact, when she became adult she
was very popular due to her ability to can see what would
happen in the future, especially in political and social
affairs2. For instance, in the newspapers from the epoch, it
used to publicate ads about her as clairvoyant; one of the ads
talks about the prediction that she made around the fall of
German Kaiser, the intervention of the U.S. into European
War, etc.

However, she was better known by her political activity.

Before, and also during, her attempt to be presidential
candidate, she struggled for Central American union as a response against U.S. intervention.
Consequently, she supported the Sandinist's struggle in Nicaragua. It was through this effort, how
she could introduced her feminist ideas in the Salvadoran society debate. Indeed, she started a
campaign for women's rights giving a speech in Santa Ana's National Theather in 1920; in that
occasion she asked to Salvadoran women to join the unionist movement and to take leadership.

In 1930, she decided to participate as presidential candidate to next year elections. She
announced her intention on a note published in "Redencin Femenina" newspaper, which was
created by herself. On that note, she expressed that she wanted to occupy the presidential charge
"thinking seriously in the inferior position assigned to women in society".

She argued that she could participate as candidate because the Salvadoran Constitution said, in its
article 51, what all Salvadoran people over 18 years old had right to citizenship. She presented
1
These books were published with her own funds.
2
For this reason, she was called Sibila Santaneca. Sibila in English is sibyl, according to Cambridge Dictionary
sibyl means any of several women in the ancient world who were thought to be able to see into the future.
1
her request to get her official candidancy to San Salvador Town Hall, due to neither woman had
requested to be part of official candidates to Presidence before, her request was sent to
Ministerial Council.

Thus, when the council received Prudencia Ayala's request they concluded that citizenship only
belonged to men, thereby they rejected her request under the argument that women could not
exercise political rights due to their 'natural incapacity'.

In this context, Prudencia was derided because the society could not accept that a woman could
have an active role outside of her home. She received all kinds of mocks, among these a
caricature where she appeared running towards presidential seat with a ladle in her hand. This
was a sample of sexist prejudice about women that showed the housework as the only place for
them. Also, she was called insane and ugly. Moreover, her political program was disqualifed
despite that she proposed respect for trade union rights, transparency in government managing,
recognition of children outside marriage and the inclusion of women in public life.

Afterward, she had to quit to her political dream. The rest of her life, she lived as seamstress and
clairvoyant. She died in 1936, but she left an enormous legacy in favor of the political
participation of women in El Salvador, whom got the right to suffragee in 1938 and the right to
occupy public charges in 1950.

Bibliography
Historial Archive from Museo de la Palabra y la Imagen (MUPI).
Rodrguez lvarez, Olga Lucia, y Mara Candelaria Navas. Construccin y ejercicio de la
ciudadana de las mujeres salvadoreas. Principales obstculos que la restringen. San
Salvador: FUNDE, 2009.
Vsquez Monzn, Olga. Prudencia Ayala, una mujer terca, imprudente y ridcula. El Faro.
Lunes 21 de agosto de 2017, sec. El Faro Acadmico.
https://elfaro.net/es/201708/ef_academico/20775/Prudencia-Ayala-una-mujer-terca-
imprudente-y-ridcula.htm (Accessed September 27, 2017).