The purpose of this site is to make Afro-Surinamese women visible. It is meant solely as an introduction to the histories of these remarkable women. Although the title of this site might give the impression that this site is about all Surinamese women, it is limited to African women and their descendents. This emphasis has to do with my own research interests and does not imply that the lives of women from other ethnic groups in Suriname are not interesting or worthy of serious examination. I simply foreground the lives of Afro-Surinamese women rendered invisible by the forces of history, racism, sexism and class exploitation. The lives of the women introduced here were very diverse. Their varied backgrounds determined the courses of their lives of which I show you only a glimpse. This is by no means a site 'for heroins only'. Throughout the course of history there have been housewives, servants, washerwomen, teachers, doctors, but also traitors, prostitutes and murderers among Surinamese women. Each woman has contributed in her way to Surinamese society and history. Hopefully this site will reveal the uniqueness of each of the women presented here. My agenda is to introduce you to mainly historical women figures, who have left their marks on Suriname's history. As you will notice the amount of data varies per woman and extensive research on the lives of these women has yet to be done.

If you have any additional information or know of another Surinamese woman who should be included, please do not hesitate to contact me. Suggestions and comments can be e-mailed to Peggy Plet.

Welcome home and come back soon!