Hilda Habichayn

Hilda Habichayn
Born	(1934-02-26)26 February 1934 Marcelino Escalada, San Justo Department, Santa Fe, Argentina
Died	6 May 2021(2021-05-06) (aged 87) Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina
Other names	Hilda Habichayn de Bonaparte
Occupation	Academic
Years active	1968–2007

Hilda Habichayn (26 February 1934 – 6 May 2021) was an Argentine sociologist and feminist. She founded the Centro de Estudios Históricos sobre las Mujeres (Center for Historical Studies on Women) at the National University of Rosario in 1989 and an academic journal Zona Franca in 1992. The center, later renamed as Centro de Estudios Interdisciplinario sobre las Mujeres (CEIM, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Women) offered the first post-graduate degree in women's studies in Latin America from 1993. She served as director of the center and journal until her retirement in 2007.

Early life and education

Hilda Habichayn was born on 26 February 1934 in Marcelino Escalada, San Justo Department, Santa Fe, Argentina, to Thamine and Jorge Habichayn. She graduated from the Liceo Nacional de Santa Fe (National Lyceum of Santa Fe) in 1951 and went on to study philosophy at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral. After graduating with her bachelor's degree in 1960, Habichayn earned a post-graduate degree from Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales–Chile (FLASCO-Chile, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences-Chile) in sociology in 1961. Continuing her studies, she completed a master's degree in The Hague, Netherlands, from the International Institute of Social Studies in 1967.

Career

Returning to Argentina after her studies abroad, Habichayn was hired to teach sociology at the National University of Rosario, but was fired because of her political left-leaning ideas and unable to work in university settings from the Onganía to the Videla presidencies. She taught at a secondary school in Rosario, Santa Fe from 1968 until 1984. She was one of the founding members of the Asociación Rosarina de Educación Sexual (ARES, Rosarian Association of Sexual Education), organized by Ana María Zeno in 1976. This was the first organization in Argentina to train professionals on contraception, sexuality, and sex education.

When the dictatorship fell, she returned to the university. In 1989, Habichayn founded the Centro de Estudios Históricos sobre las Mujeres (Center for Historical Studies on Women) at the National University of Rosario, which was renamed as the Centro de Estudios Interdisciplinario sobre las Mujeres (CEIM, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies on Women) in 1991. The academics associated with the center were feminist activists who wanted to address the inequalities between men and women and the lack of research on women and restrictive social hierarchies. These included academics such as Habichayn's husband, Héctor Bonaparte, Nidia Areces, Marta Bonaudo, María Inés Carzolio, Gabriela D'alla Corte, Elida Sonzoni, María Cecilia Stroppa, who held Friday meetings to discuss projects and coordinate activities. Initially they focused on filling the gaps of women's historic participation in society, but quickly began to move to a wider scope focusing on women's and gender issues across academic disciplines.

At the time, women's studies were not widely accepted as an academic field, and Habichayn had to press the administration for accreditation. Mónica Tarducci, a colleague and anthropologist, noted that convincing the Comision Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universitaria (CoNEAU, National Commission for University Evaluation and Accreditation) was an arduous process and took Habichayn over three years. Finally in 1993, she secured approval for the first master's degree program in women's studies in Latin America. Students who enrolled in the program were taught by academics like Ana Amado, Nora Domínguez, Catalina Wainerman, and others, from various universities. The previous year, she also founded and became editor-in-chief of the journal Zona Franca (Free Zone), which served as the publishing medium for academics of CEIM. Habachayn was one of the founders of the Centro para los Nuevos Roles (CENUR, Center for New Roles), a feminist space and publishing house in 1997.

Although Habichayn published many articles and book chapters, her most known work was Rescoldo bajo las cenizas: Las mil y una formas de exclusión y reclusión de las mujeres (2005, Embers under the Ashes: The Thousand and One Forms of Exclusion and Confinement of Women). The book was an evaluation of the changing landscape for women and feminism through time in Argentina. Among the themes explored were family violence, health and maternity, sexuality and prostitution and the socio-cultural constructs of how policies dealing with these issues changed over time. In 2006, the Deliberative Council of Rosario honored her as a pioneer in gender studies on International Women's Day. She retired the following year as manager of CEIM and editor-in-chief of Zona Franca.

Death and legacy

Habichayn died on 6 May 2021 in Rosario. She is remembered for her pioneering role in establishing women's studies in Argentina and founding the first master's program in the field in Latin America.

References

Bibliography

• Arce, Itatí Liliana; Moreno, María Mercedes (2015). "C. E. I. M. un espacio con memoria [C. E. I. M.: A Space with Memory". In Koldorf, Ana Esther (ed.). GENERando conexiones: aportes desde el feminismo y el concepto de género al uso y acceso responsable de las TICs [Generating Connections: Contributions from Feminism and the Concept of Gender through Responsible Access and Use of Technology and Information Systems] (PDF) (in Spanish) (1a. ed.). Rosario: Editiónes Del Revés. pp. 21–40. ISBN 978-987-3852-03-9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2023.
• Arrabal, Victoria (9 March 2019). "Académicas con la lupa en el género" [Academics with a Magnifying Glass on Gender]. Página 12 (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
• Bortolotti, Mariana; Figueroa, Noelia; Viano, Cristina (2017). "Pioneras. La constitución del movimiento feminista en Rosario" [Pioneers: The Constitution of the Feminist Movement in Rosario]. Zona Franca (in Spanish) (25). Rosario, Argentina: Centro de Estudios Interdisciplinarios sobre Mujeres. ISSN 2545-6504. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
• Diz, Tania (July–December 2007). "Reseñas: Habichayn, Hilda. (2005). 'Rescoldos bajo las cenizas. Las mil y una formas de exclusión y reclusión de las mujeres'. Rosario, Laborde Editor, 188 págs" [Reviews: Habichayn, Hilda. (2005). 'Embers under the Ashes: The Thousand and One Forms of Exclusion and Confinement of Women'. Rosario, Laborde Editor, 188 pages.] (PDF). Mora (in Spanish). 13 (2). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Universidad de Buenos Aires: 101–102. ISSN 0328-8773. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
• Femenías, María Luisa (January–July 2005). "El feminismo académico en Argentina" [Academic Feminism in Argentina]. Labrys (in Spanish) (7). Brasília, Brazil: Universidade de Brasília. ISSN 1676-966X. OCLC 1040991099. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
• Gogna, Mónica; Jones, Daniel; Ibarlucía, Inés, eds. (2011). Sexualidad, ciencia y profesión en America Latina: el campo de la Sexologia em la Argentina [Sexuality, Science and Profession in Latin America: The Field of Sexology in Argentina] (PDF) (in Spanish). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: CEPESC. ISBN 978-85-89737-69-2. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 February 2022.
• "Fue distinguida en Rosario: Hilda Habichayn, una pionera en la problemática de género" [Distinguished in Rosario: Hilda Habichayn, a Pioneer in Gender Issues]. El Litoral (in Spanish). Santa Fe, Argentina. 12 March 2006. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
• "Murió Hilda Habichayn, reconocida docente de la UNR y activista por la igualdad de género" [Hilda Habichayn, Renowned UNR Teacher and Gender Equality Activist, Died]. La Capital (in Spanish). Rosario, Argentina. 12 May 2021. Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
• "Murió la socióloga y pionera Hilda Habichayn: La audacia de una feminista" [The Sociologist and Pioneer Hilda Habichayn Died: The Audacity of a Feminist]. Página 12 (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina. 13 May 2021. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2023.