In an era when there were few job opportunities for women in positions considered high-risk, Ofelia Rodas Velasco broke stereotypes by becoming the first female night watchman in Chiapas, starting in 1964. She performed this job with courage and dedication in the state capital.
According to chronicler Edi Maber Suárez Rodas, the job of night watchman was assigned only to men due to the danger involved in guarding buildings at night. However, “Doña Ofe,” as she was known in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, proved that a woman could also perform this work with bravery.
Mrs. Ofelia Rodas Velasco was born in 1933 and was originally from Simojovel. In the Chiapas capital, she worked for the State Government’s Public Works Department between 1964 and 1969, watching over the junkyard located at the corner of Fifth North and Sixth West Streets, the site where the Gustavo Díaz Ordaz Elementary School is currently located.
Later, from 1969 to 1979, she worked as a night watchman at the Adelina Blanco kindergarten, now Leona Vicario, across from the Cinco de Mayo Market. She continued working at the CNC (National Peasant Confederation) Rural Shelter, next to the Camilo Pintado Elementary School, where she remained until her retirement.
According to chronicler Edi Maber Suárez Rodas, Doña Ofe used rudimentary tools to protect the places she watched over. She used stones, empty chili cans, and firecrackers with matches that made loud noises to scare away potential thieves. She also usually wore pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a hat, while patrolling the properties with a machete in hand, accompanied by her four dogs: Oso, Terry, Canelo, and Black.
One of her most striking methods was striking the machete against fixed objects to warn that she was on guard and prepared to defend the place. The woman even lived in the same places where she worked as a night watchman.
Although she received little recognition during her life, residents of the Hidalgo and Canta Rana neighborhoods in Tuxtla Gutiérrez remember her as a hardworking, courageous woman, beloved by the community. According to the chronicler’s account, numerous people came to say goodbye on the day of her death in November 2010.
Edi Maber Suárez Rodas emphasized that Ofelia Rodas Velasco’s story represents the effort and capability of Chiapas women in various professional and social spheres, from agriculture and commerce to community and business leadership.
Source: oem
