Reseña

This dissertation examines the role of Revista Paula, which, during its publication, was Chile’s largest-circulating women’s magazine and the world’s first feminist magazine, in shaping public discourse from the democratic period under Eduardo Frei (1964–1970) through the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973–1990). Founded in 1967 with a strong feminist orientation, Paula navigated the complex terrain of state censorship, elite media ownership, and societal gender norms to provide a platform for debates about women’s lives, political participation, and democracy. Despite its right-wing ownership and the perception of women’s magazines as apolitical, Paula maintained an editorial vision that subtly challenged authoritarianism and expanded the parameters of the public sphere.
Drawing on textual analysis of the magazine and oral histories with journalists, editors, and contributors, this study traces Paula’s transformation from its democratic-era origins, through the repression of the early dictatorship, the constrained media environment of the late 1970s, and the rising pro-democracy activism of the 1980s. I argue that Paula functioned as a counterpublic for women within the officially sanctioned public sphere, bridging elite media and grassroots feminist activism, and amplifying political discourse through cultural, social, and everyday issues. Its coverage of feminism, reproductive rights, social inequality, and democratic advocacy demonstrates how women’s autonomous spaces contributed to both the public sphere and broader democratic movements, challenging assumptions that only oppositional, leftist media were sites of political engagement.
Situating Paula within the press history of Chile during the dictatorship and engaging theories of the public sphere, counterpublics, and gendered political participation, this dissertation demonstrates that feminism offers a critical lens for understanding the development of democratic publics under authoritarian regimes. By highlighting the centrality of women as political actors, it shows that Paula’s intervention in Chilean media culture was crucial for sustaining debate, shaping public opinion, and fostering a more inclusive and participatory public sphere.

Esta tesis examina el papel de Revista Paula, que durante su publicación fue la revista femenina de mayor circulación en Chile y la primera revista feminista del mundo, en la conformación del discurso público desde el período democrático bajo Eduardo Frei (1964–1970) hasta la dictadura militar de Augusto Pinochet (1973–1990). Fundada en 1967 con una fuerte orientación feminista, Paula navegó el complejo terreno de la censura estatal, la propiedad de los medios por parte de élites y las normas de género de la sociedad para ofrecer una plataforma de debate sobre la vida de las mujeres, la participación política y la democracia. A pesar de su propiedad de derecha y de la percepción de las revistas femeninas como apolíticas, Paula mantuvo una visión editorial que desafiaba sutilmente el autoritarismo y ampliaba los límites de la esfera pública.