Petronila Infantes

Infantes was born in La Paz on 29 June 1911.[1] At a very young age she went to live in Eucaliptus.[2] She worked with her father for an American company there, but he died when she was very young.[2] Soon after she started working as a street vendor,[3] then later as a cook, trained by her mother.[4][5] During her first marriage she had a son, José Enrique, and a daughter, Alicia.[1] Her wedding was a civil, rather than a religious ceremony, as she was suspicious of where and how the church's wealth was distributed.[6]

“Women organize like this: We defend ourselves, we manage ourselves."

— Petronila Infantes

One of the anti-discrimination protests that Infantes was involved in revolved around a ban in 1935 on the tram system for people with heavy luggage or clothing that might come in contact with others.[5] This ban was introduced after upper-class women complained that their stockings were being torn by the skirts of lower-class chola women.[5] These women were indigenous and mestiza women, who wore traditional pollera skirts and bowler hats.[7] Many of the women affected were cholas and many worked as cooks, they were tired of being discriminated against and formed the all-female Culinary Workers Union as a response to the discriminatory practices of the tram companies.[5] Infantes was one of its founding members.[8][9] The tram companies had to overturn the ban, due to public pressure. However politics was not free of discrimination and Infantes recalled how at a conference in 1929, Bolivian upper-class women who were present objected to cholas giving a presentation.[10]

Culinary Workers Union

The work of the Culinary Workers Union led to the recognition of cook as a profession, to an eight-hour working day and to the provision of free childcare for working mothers.[5] Its model was adopted by other all-female unions, including the Women's Union of Florists, the Union of Recoveras and the Union of Travellers to the Altiplano.[9] In 1940, all twelve all-female unions incorporated into one.[9] It was Infantes' administrative skills which enabled much of the transformation of all twelve into the Women Workers Federation (FOF) in 1940,[5] and became the FOF's leader.[11] Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Infantes continued to co-ordinate the work of the FOF.[3] At its peak, the FOF was made up of over sixty unions, with Infantes as a key figure.[12] When Infantes was arrested whilst protesting, her young daughter was placed in the goal cell with her.[13]

Many trade unions, such as the National Federation of Domestic Workers of Bolivia, recognise Infantes as one of their pioneers.