Born: 1870 (Either San Luis or San Juan, Argentina)
Died: 1960
Biography:
Virginia Bolten (26 December 1870 – 1960) was an Argentine journalist, anarchist, and feminist activist of German descent. Known for her exceptional oratory skills, she is considered a pioneer in the fight for women’s rights in Argentina. Bolten was born in either San Luis or San Juan, Argentina, in 1870. She spent her childhood in San Juan but moved to Rosario at the age of 14.
In her early adulthood, Bolten worked as a shoemaker and a sugar factory worker. It was during her time as a shoemaker that she met Juan Marquez, an organizer of a shoe worker’s union, whom she later married. It was through Marquez that she became involved in anarchist circles, particularly through her acquaintance with Pietro Gori.
Bolten dedicated herself to activism and made significant contributions to the feminist, anarchist, and workers’ movements. In 1888, she became one of the publishers of The Working Baker of Rosario (El Obrero Panadero de Rosario), one of Argentina’s first anarchist newspapers. The following year, in 1889, Bolten organized a demonstration and subsequent strike by seamstresses in Rosario, likely the first strike by female workers in Argentina.
In 1890, Bolten, along with Romulo Ovidi and Francisco Berri, played a key role in organizing the first May Day demonstrations in Argentina. These demonstrations were instrumental in promoting worker solidarity and advocating for labor rights. Bolten’s activism caught the attention of local authorities, and on April 30, 1890, she was detained and interrogated for distributing leaflets outside major factories in Rosario. Despite this, she continued to lead a group of thousands of workers in the May Day demonstrations, carrying the red flag and embodying the spirit of international workers’ solidarity.
In 1902, Bolten was deported to Uruguay under the Residence Law, but she did not let this deter her in her commitment to activism. She continued her work in Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay. Bolten is believed to have been responsible for the publication of a newspaper called La Voz de la Mujer (The Woman’s Voice), which was published sporadically between 1896 and 1901 in Rosario and later revived in Montevideo.
Virginia Bolten’s dedication to social justice spanned her lifetime, and she remained an influential figure in the anarchist and feminist movements until her death in 1960.