Exactly one century ago, Chile's Senate took a decisive step toward democratizing the nation. On April 13, 1926, the legislative chamber backed the inclusion of women in municipal elections, laying the foundation for what would become universal suffrage decades later.
An extraordinary session held that day allowed for a vote on amendments proposed by Senators Luis Cariola and Rafael Barahona. The initiative sought to bring women into the municipal electoral process, breaking a pattern of exclusion that had persisted for years.
The final vote was 21 in favor and 10 against. However, the victory came with restrictive conditions that limited the scope of this newly granted right.
A Breakthrough with Restrictions
The approved bill only allowed women who were taxpayers to register to vote. Furthermore, a dependency clause excluded those under the legal authority of a father or husband.
“That condition reflects the restrictions of the era, but at the time, it opened the first door to a space that had previously excluded us entirely,” noted historian María Gabriela Huidobro, an academic at UNAB.
This milestone was the result of years of advocacy by figures such as Amanda Labarca, Inés Echeverría, and Delia Matte. These leaders utilized platforms like theClub de Señoras(Ladies' Club) to drive the debate regarding women's political role.
The expansion of voting rights continued in 1934, when President Arturo Alessandri Palma enacted Law No. 5,357. This legislation allowed women not only to vote but also to run for elective office.
In the 1935 municipal elections, women made their debut at the polls with 76,049 registered voters. Of the 98 women who ran for office, 25 were successfully elected as councilwomen.
“It was at the municipal level that women began not only to vote but also to run for public office,” Huidobro explained.
The path toward full citizenship culminated in 1949, under the administration of Gabriel González Videla, with the enactment of Law No. 9,292, which established universal female suffrage in Chile.
