Paper short abstract:

The women I interviewed in Quito as part of my research consider the Virgin as a brave and empowered woman. Their ideas differ with the Church’s views that emphasise Mary’s purity. Thus, I argue that the Virgin has become the property of these women and an icon of resistance of male imposed Catholic rules.

Paper long abstract:

The quintessential role model for catholic women is the Virgin Mary. She represents the church's ideal feminine characteristics: obedience to God, chastity and a complete dedication to motherhood. In regions where Catholicism is important such as Latin America, many academics have argued that the Virgin strongly influences how women behave and are socially judged. For some, the influence of the Virgin is positive. However, for others the effect of the Virgin is damaging as she presents a limited and essentialist model of femininity that gives an inordinate amount of importance to sexual purity. However, the actual way that women perceive and relate to the Virgin has not been adequately explored. In this paper I will look at the cult of the Virgin Mary in terms of its practices and its meanings. I did fieldwork in Quito, Ecuador from 2004 to 2006; I interviewed middle class women, most of them married and between 30 and 50 years old. I found out that these women strongly identify with the Virgin Mary; they view her not only as a role model but mainly as a protector and a mother. Furthermore, the Virgin is not regarded as an afflicted figure or victim but instead as a brave and empowered woman. The image they have of the Virgin contrasts with the Church's views that emphasis her obedience and sexual purity. Thus, I argue that the Virgin has become the property of these Catholic women and an icon of resistance of male imposed Catholic rules.