María del Tránsito Sorroza

Maria del Tránsito Sorroza (fl. 1646) was an Afro-Ecuadorian woman who obtained her emancipation from slavery due to her skill as a midwife. She became known by the nickname "Hands of Silk".

Biography

Tránsito Sorroza was a woman of African descent, who lived in Guayaquil during the seventeenth century. She dedicated herself to the role of midwife and such was her ability that was given the nickname "Hands of Silk". In recognition of her contribution to the society of the time, she was granted emancipation in 1646.^[1][2][3][4] She also brought up several young black women who were born illegitimate.^[5]

Legacy

The doctor and philanthropist Ignacio Hurtado de López used his own money to build the Nuestra Señora de Tránsito Hospital in Guayaquil in honour of María del Tránsito Sorroza.^[2] In 2017 her life featured in the exhibition Mujeres de Guayaquil, siglo XVI al XX.^[6]

References

1. Oñate, Sara. "Guayaquil mira sus historias de esclavitud". El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-08-08.
2. Benítez Bastidas, Nhora M.; Albuja León, Jorge I. (2014). "Legado de Personajes Afros y Afrodescendientes a la memoria social del Ecuador y el turismo cultural como estrategia de visibilización" (PDF). Revista Interamericana de Ambiente y Turismo. 10 (1).
3. re/construedo: historias de mujeres ecuatorianas (PDF). Trama. 2009. ISBN 978-9978-92-766-3.
4. "Archivo Histórico del Guayas ofrecerá última charla virtual sobre epidemias y pestes – Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio". www.culturaypatrimonio.gob.ec. Retrieved 2021-08-08.
5. Estrada, Jenny (1984). Mujeres de Guayaquil: siglo XVI al siglo XX, índice biográfico (in Spanish). Banco Central del Ecuador.
6. Octubre, 25 De; 2017 - 00h00 (2017-10-25). "Diecisiete mujeres ecuatorianas son plasmadas en barro". El Universo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2021-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)