Born: 7 May 1919, Argentina
Died: 26 July 1952
Country most active: Argentina
Also known as: Evita, Eva Maria Duarte, Eva María Ibarguren
The following is excerpted from Infinite Women creator Allison Tyra’s book Uncredited: Women’s Overlooked, Misattributed, and Stolen Work.
Although powerful and popular, Argentine activist and First Lady Eva Perón—immortalised in the musical Evita—still faced rampant sexism, not least because of her background as an actress. That was in addition to classism because she rose out of poverty and fought for the working class. Her critics tried to depict her as a manipulative harlot, with some calling her “La Gran Puta” (“The Great Whore”) who secretly controlled the government. This also served as a tactic to undermine her husband, Juan Perón, by presenting him as a weak puppet.