Victoria Ocampo was one of the most influential intellectuals in the first half of the 20th century in Argentina. Her magazine Sur, her publishing house and her home, which were all meeting places for exiles and locals, were emblematic of the artistic and intellectual milieu of Buenos Aires.
Growing up in a wealthy family, Victoria Ocampo received an extensive education. As a child, she became as comfortable speaking English and French as her native Spanish. She wrote mainly in French, then translated some of her texts into Spanish. These language skills allowed her to get in touch with both the local and the foreign intelligentsia. For several years, she travelled through Europe with her family. In Paris, she met French writers, artists, and intellectuals, whom she later received at Villa Ocampo, her home in San Isidro. When she admired someone's work, Ocampo would approach that person and include them in her circle. In 1936, together with the writers María Rosa Oliver and Susana Larguía, she founded and headed the Unión de Mujeres Argentinas (Argentine Women's Union), through which she firmly opposed the Proyecto de 1936 to reform the Civil Code, which reintroduced gender inequality.