Reaction to Jacqueline's post #6

Nice post! I also talked about the role of women in Latin America. 
There are a couple of things that I wanted to point out. First, I think that the inclusion of women in the revolution was a very progressive idea and is definitely a milestone for women's rights. The only difference is, I wouldn't attribute this feat to Zapata, but to the peasant culture. Yes, Zapata was the leader and he allowed it, but he could not have allowed it if the culture didn't support it in the first place. It's my belief that peasant women had a lot more respect and individual liberties than elite women and women in other societies. I believe this to be true because peasant families simply couldn't afford to shelter their women like elite families could. 
Secondly, the film Viva Zapata! may not have shown women fighting in rank with men on the battlefield, but it did not completely exclude their importance to the revolution. There is the scene where women bravely approach the guarded city walls and sacrifice their lives lighting the dynamite to explode the walls. Before they had done this, one of the guards said to watch out for the women, because he "didn't trust the women any more than the men." There is another scene where you see women raiding the bodies of dead soldiers. Finally, when Zapata is being transported on the trail as a prisoner, men, women, and children all take part in surrounding his caravan. 
It is not in your face, and perhaps the intention is to keep the focus on barbarism vs. civilization, but I think the movie actually does a pretty good job representing the role women had in the revolution. 
It's surprising to me that the Federal army would have used any women soldiers. Perhaps they were used more as cooks and nurses, rather than for any actual fighting?
Anyways, thanks for the insight on a very interesting topic.