Illiteracy and Education in Women’s Prisons during the Argentinian (1976-1983) and Uruguayan (1973-1985) Dictatorships: Voices, Representations, and Silences in Testimonies Analyzed from a Comparative Viewpoint

Abstract

This paper analyzes the role played by alphabetization practices carried out in prison facilities by political prisoners during the Argentinian (1976-1983) and Uruguayan (1973-1985) dictatorships, as stated in a series of individual and collective testimonies. The aim is to contribute to the study of prison testimonial narrative with a gender perspective that takes into account the particular experiences of women and activists from sub-alternate classes. Specifically, the paper explores how illiteracy is endured during captivity. From a comparatist point of view, which accounts for the transnational character of memories, and which brings together diverse testimonial productions from both countries, the focus is placed on determining how the process of alphabetization is represented in these texts: what is described and what is omitted with respect to such practices. Moreover, we consider the different stances of the participants: the alphabetized women, the alphabetizers, and other detained women who witnessed the educational practices among co-inmates. Interviews to former political prisoners are also included as part of this analysis.