Reasons for participating Soldaderas

1 reasons participating

1.1 force
1.2 protection
1.3 other reasons

reasons participating

revolutionaries , unarmed adelitas. posed undated photo, place unknown


force

one reason joining revolution through brutal force. male soldiers kidnapped women , forced them join armies.

other times soldiers turn @ villages , demand women there join. if women refused threatened until gave in or else shot , killed. these kidnappings no secret in mexico , reported in country’s newspapers. in april 1913, mexican herald newspaper reported 40 women captured town of jojutla, zapatista armies, women neighboring town 2 kilometers away. although newspaper reports did alert readers such issues, literacy rates women, in countryside, extremely low, averaging around 9.5% of women. meant majority of women able information kidnappings , other dangers word of mouth. process mean late them time revolutionary armies appeared in town. form of forcefully making women join revolution woman’s husband, wanting wife take care of him while @ war. john reed once asked soldier why wife had go , fight in villa’s army, , responded saying, shall starve then? shall make tortillas wife?

protection

another reason join revolution, , common, protection men in family, either husband, father, brother, had joined 1 of revolutionary armies. there great need protection females there few males left in villages, 1 of reasons why revolutionary armies had such easy time going these villages , forcing women join them. common event woman follow husband , join whatever force fighting for, , more willing so. once kidnappings began more frequent, women had stayed home decided join male family members fighting. in 1911 in town of torreon, young female named chico ended being last female left in household because orozco’s troops had rampaged village , killed mother , sisters. chico, numerous females joined forces protection of male family members.

other reasons

some older women join armies act of revenge towards victoriano huerta s regime. these women have had husbands, brothers or sons killed federal army , less live join fight revolution.

some women supported ideals armies fighting, whether revolutionary or federal armies. more lower class females joined fight , fighting on side of revolutionary forces. 1 of reasons revolution have sort of land reform in mexico, , since lower-class people’s lives depended on farming, made sense join side did.