When it comes to learning about or discussing times of war or revolutions, especially those of a more conservative era, the role women play often goes unmentioned. Traditionally, women are not the ones fighting at the frontline, most documentaries reflect on the suffering and everyday life of men, and, since the already discussed tragedies are more than enough to process, most do not even feel the need to ask, and what were women doing all along?
Hence, one could easily dismiss the actions of a woman of hardships, thinking they were doing nothing worth of mentioning. However, the different generations of Chilian arpilleras goes to show how wrong such a conclusion is. These pieces of art have been key components in raising awareness of and commemorating the horrors of Chile’s history. They are messengers and reminders, they tell a thousand stories without words.
I believe that women’s pain holds a power of its own. Women’s pain is normalized and therefore often dismissed and overlooked. However, when people must look, they realize its greatness, it touches them to the very core and it inspires people to take action, rise up and change faulty systems, as it can be seen in several era’s of Chile’s history.
