She was born in Buenos Aires on June 26, 1819. After the May Revolution, those were times of political upheavals in the Rio de La Plata and her family had to go into exile in Uruguay and then Brazil. In all the places where she lived, she had an impact on education from a feminist perspective. She also began her career as a writer, publishing her poems under pseudonyms in newspapers in Argentina and Montevideo.
In Brazil between 1852 and 1854, she edited O Jornal das Senhoras, the first newspaper in Latin America aimed at the female public. In Buenos Aires, in 1854 he founded Álbum de Señoritas, very similar to its Brazilian counterpart. Throughout her life, she was committed to the enlightened project of popular education and is considered an initiator of the education movement.
Juana dedicated herself to revaluing teacher training, especially that of kindergarten teachers. She collaborated, from 1859 to 1862, in Anales de la Educación Común, founded by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento in 1858. Through the magazine, Manso spread the benefits of kindergartens, informing teachers about pedagogical orientations, and suggesting activities, such as exercise and gymnastics. In 1865, Manso began to direct Anales, a role he held until his death in 1875.
