Women’s Threat: Gender Roles among Mennonite Workers in Argentina

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore the role of Mennonite missionary women in Argentina since their arrival in the country in 1917 until the 1960s. Mennonites are part of the Anabaptist Christians emerged in the 16th century under the radical reform movements. Due to persecution, they migrated to Eastern Europe and the United States. From the latter country and within the context of a renewal process of the Mennonite Church (MC), the Argentine mission was set up. Using different archival sources –personal diaries, letters, publications, administrative reports- we seek to reconstruct the role, often made invisible, of women in the missionary enterprise. In this way, we attempt to contribute not only to a better understanding of the missionization efforts but also to the debate about gender notions and practices in the context of Christianity during the first half of the 20th century.