Museo de la Mujer

The Museo de la Mujer, or Women’s Museum, is a museum in central Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its historical and artistic exhibitions deal with themes of women’s culture and history, primarily in Argentina and other Latin American countries.

History of Museo de la Mujer

Created in 2006, the museum, described by its directors as “a proposal of art and culture from women who make history”, examines the changing role of women throughout history and scrutinises the challenges which are faced by women across the world today. Through their work, the museum’s organisers aim to achieve the recognition of the rights and interests of women, and to fight against gender-based discrimination and oppression.

The exhibitions coordinated by the museum, which are often photographic in nature, have focussed on subjects such as changing perceptions of female sexuality, female entry into and participation in the labour market, and women’s historic struggle to escape from their traditional role as homebound mothers and housewives devoted to so-called ‘women’s work’.

The Museo de la Mujer is also a centre for discussion and exchange of knowledge, expertise and opinion. It organises regular classes and workshops dealing with themes like theatre and acting, working with historical sources and textile design.

The museum’s directors and researchers have published numerous articles, leaflets and books. In 2002, one of the museum’s coordinators, Berta Wexler, made a hugely significant contribution to existing knowledge about women’s role in the Latin American Wars of Independence. She published a meticulous investigation into the guerrilla military leader Juana Azurduy de Padilla, an important protagonist of the struggle to liberate the territories of the viceroyalty of Río de la Plata (an area which covered present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay).

Azurduy, who was from Alto Peru (present-day Bolivia), is one of the few women who have been recognised for the role they played in the Wars of Independence. The airport of Sucre in Bolivia is named after her.

Museo de la Mujer today

The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, from 3pm. There’s a regular, well-run programme of events if you’re a Spanish speaker, so be sure to check their website in advance of your visit.

Getting to Museo de la Mujer

Located in central Buenos Aires, the Museo de la Mujer is easily accessible. The nearest metro stations are Uruguay and Lima, both of which are a 5 minute walk away. Bus 5 or 39 will drop you two streets over.