Julieta Kirkwood

María Julieta Kirkwood Bañados was a Chilean sociologist, political scientist, university professor and feminist activist. Her activism led her to be involved with feminist organizations such as La Casa de la Mujer La Morada, Mujeres Por la Vida, and MEMCH-83(Movimiento Pro-Emancipación de la Mujer Chilena–1983). Over the course of her career she worked as a researcher and lecturer at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO) in Santiago, where she was among the few women political scientists of her generation. Her colleagues and students later recognized her contributions by preserving her teaching and writings, ensuring her influence on Chilean social science and feminism continued beyond her death. She is considered the forerunner of Gender studies in Chile.