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Birthplace
Arecibo, Puerto Rico1879
Field Best Known For
1922 Labor Leadership, Feminism, and Anarchism
Awards & Recognition
Pioneering Puerto Rican feminist and labor leader
First woman in Puerto Rico to wear pants in public
Bio
Luisa Capetillo was a trailblazing Puerto Rican labor leader, feminist, and anarchist born in Arecibo in 1879. She began her activism as a reader in tobacco factories, where she educated workers on labor rights and social issues. Capetillo was instrumental in organizing strikes and advocating for workers' and women's rights across Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the United States. In 1911, she published "Mi Opinión," a book expressing her revolutionary ideas on women's liberation and social justice. Notably, she defied societal norms by becoming the first woman in Puerto Rico to wear pants in public, challenging traditional gender roles and inspiring future generations in the fight for equality.
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