Maria Eva Duarte Perón: Los Toldos, Argentina

Maria Eva Duarte Perón was born in Los Toldos, Argentina on May 7, 1919. Her parents were Juana and Juan Duarte, and she had four siblings. Her father made money by managing ranches and farms for wealthy landowners. He left Juana and her five children when Eva was a year old. From then on, the family lived in poverty. They moved to a town called Junin, which was larger than Los Todos in order to have more opportunities. When Eva was 16, she quit school and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina by herself. It was her dream to become an actress. In Buenos Aires, Eva tried out for roles in radio programs, and had a small part in the film Segundos Afuera. Eventually, Eva focused on a radio career. At age 20, she owned a radio company called Company of the Theater of the Air. She produced a radio series about biographies of famous women in history. Eva’s career was doing well, and she was no longer poor. In 1944, she met Juan Domingo Perón. He was the head of the nation’s labor and social welfare department. Eva met Juan Perón at a fundraiser for earthquake victims. She used her weekly radio show to help campaign for president. They married in October of 1945. Eva Perón became Argentina’s First Lady, when Juan Perón became president in 1946.
She made sure women who were homeless had housing, and sick children received medical care. Eva supported voting rights for women. In 1951, women in Argentina were able to vote for the first time. She also helped get women elected into political offices. Eva Perón started a foundation in 1947. She helped needy people by distributing food, clothing, and medical help. She supervised the Ministry of Health, visited orphanages, hospitals, and reached out to the poor. Her goals were to make sure all poor people had education and healthcare, so their lives could