10d. Madres de la Plaza de Mayo – Mothers of the Disappeared

Their actions were very dangerous and some of the women themselves disappeared. Their weekly vigils exposed the abuses of the dictatorship and brought international attention to human rights violations. A second group, the Grandmothers of the Disappeared, formed to protest the loss of grandchildren – children born to women in prison who were taken away and given for adoption, often into military families.

Following the election of a democratic government in 1983, the disappearances and the abuses stopped. However, the women continued to gather and protest, demanding investigation into the disappearances and accountability for the perpetrators. Over time, the group divided according to differences in approach and goals. Some women just wanted verification of the deaths of their children. Others demanded acknowledgement and apologies. Some wanted to work with subsequent governments and courts to recover the remains of their children. Others continued to hold vigils that demanded the end of impunity for the former military leaders and perpetrators.

Impact and significance:

• The women were considered “Argentina's moral compass as the country still struggles to atone for the crimes of the past.”¹
• They became one of the world's most renowned and respected human rights organizations and their strategies and tactics were adopted by other comparable movements, in El Salvador and Turkey, for example.
• Their persistence, even after the main conflict was over, helped generate commitment to bring awareness and accountability to the deaths and disappearances.
• They showed that women, often viewed as powerless in a patriarchal culture, could adopt creative and highly powerful methods to bring attention to an issue, and ultimately justice.
• They used their identity as mothers, a highly respected role, as a legitimate position from which to protest. In a sense, their motherhood protected them from retribution.