PugSpeak's newest bracelet, Las Mariposas, was inspired by the story and the implacable courage of the Mirabal Sisters. This is a story of tyranny and violence against women and what we can do now to help eradicate the oppression of women everywhere.

The Mirabal Sisters - Minerva, Patria, Maria Teresa, and Bélgica were born in Salcedo, Dominican Republic in the latter 1920's and early 1930's.

From 1930 to 1961, the Dominican Republic was ruled under the tyrannical dictatorship of General Rafael Molino Trujillo. Under his reign of terror, hundreds of thousands of Dominicans and Haitians were tortured and killed.

The Mirabal Sisters, all cultured and educated women, resisted Trujillo's oppression and tyranny and became part of the underground movement to have Trujillo removed from office. Led by Minerva, the sisters became known as Las Mariposas - the Butterflies.

Several times, the sisters and their husbands were tortured and imprisoned. On November 25, 1960, Minerva, Patria, and Maria Teresa had visited their husbands who were incarcerated in Santo Domingo. On their way home, they were intercepted by Trujillo's henchmen, taken to a nearby sugarcane field and along with their driver, were killed. Trujillo believed he had removed what he viewed as the opposition. In reality, the Dominicans rallied their strength for this cause which for the most part, led to Trujillo's downfall.

November 25 was declared International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the United Nations General Assemby in 1999. In honor of the Mirabal Sisters and this cause, PugSpeak is offering Las Mariposas bracelet with a portion of the proceeds being donated to UNIFEM.

Research for this page was gathered from a compilation of various websites that are listed to the left as links. For more information on the Mirabal Sisters and the works of UNIFEM, please consult these links as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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