Indigenous and Women’s Rights in Ecuador – Two Trailblazing Women, by Charlotte Timson

When the Spanish colonized Ecuador in 1531 it began a rule of Catholicism, defining the figure of women as pure and virginal, and certainly in no condition to vote. Two incredibly important women: Matilde Hidalgo de Procel and Dolores Cacuango, born just 8 years apart, fought for the rights of women and indigenous people to try and incite change in a country ruled by elitist white men.

Defying a dictator: The Mirabal Sisters, by Poppy Merrifield

Throughout history, women have often played a pivotal but underappreciated role in political resistance. Traditional gender norms of the mid-20th century placed women in less political roles; they were subservient housewives. In reality, many women have been crucial in the fight against totalitarian regimes, the Mirabals illustrating as such.

Frida Kahlo: Creating a Vision of People with Disabilities, by Debra Schaefer

Frida Kahlo was a resilient lady. She had plans to become a doctor, a politician, and an artist, yet such plans were tarnished in 1925. Following being impaled by an iron handrail whilst riding on a bus, Kahlo became a patient. However, during her years of recovery, Kahlo created art which exhibited the perspectives of a woman with disabilities.

Recovering Indigenous Viewpoints: to what extent can we recover indigenous reactions to European colonisation in Brazil?, by Alvaro Novais Freire

When Pêro Vaz de Caminha arrived in Brazil on the 22nd of April 1500 aboard Pedro Alvares Cabral’s voyage of ‘discovery’, he was awestruck. The letter he wrote to the Portuguese King Manuel I is in stark contrast to those written by other explorers of the period.

Fidel Castro and the Spirit of Cuba, by James Butler

The people of Cuba possess a revolutionary spirit, one of passion, selflessness, tenacity, and long-suffering, unlike that of many other nations. As of 2021, it has been 10 years since Fidel Castro resigned as the leader of Cuba. If anything, Castro’s legacy is contentious because the history of Castro is ultimately the story of a great nation’s independence.