Leonor Espinoza de Menéndez´s Zarela. A feminist story: without education woman does not advance

Abstract

This research focuses on Leonor Espinoza de Menéndez´s novel, Zarela. A feminist story (1915?)
raising the need to change the status of women in the early 20th century in Peru through legal
recognition of civic, educational and labour rights of women. The gender issues, ideological
representations of male and female characters and abusive relationships help understand the
traditional and misogynist society´s context that was backed by State, legal and cultural institutions in
order to maintain the status quo and social and sexual differences. The writer Espinoza emphasizes
the need for education of women so that she can develop and play a role at work autonomously
and independently. Her equality feminism calls for urgent changes.