Women in Latin America

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Women in Latin America

• By Victoria Kuzmina

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Gender Roles

• Traditional
• -Women stay within household until they are
  married
• -Family reputation measured by number of
  children.
• -Patriarchy father has unquestionable authority
• -Men are allowed to have sexual experience before
  marriage and external affairs after marriage
• -Machismo men are dominant, can even be
  aggressive, supply family economically, guide
  women in life.
• -Marianismo protect children an family honor,
  submissive to men, work at home.

• Modern
• -Financial pressure Both family members work
  outside the family.
• -Women work average family size is smaller, less
  time for children.
• -Women have more education and employment
  opportunities, more self-confidence, machismo is
  challenged.
• -Women are active politically, guerilla
  movements, presidents, senators.
• -National womens movements advocate womens
  rights

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Latin American Feminism

• Feminine v Feminist interests
• Feminine interests- improvement of womens
  ability to fulfill traditional gendered roles
  (mothers, educators), also called practical
  gender interests.
• Feminist interests- reconstruction of social
  codes and gendered division of roles.
• WID (Women In Development) and WAD (Women and
  Development)
• WID approach-political and economic
  empowerment of women, enforcing womens legal
  rights, equal education and employment
  opportunities.
• WAD approach-criticize WID activists for
  disregarding barriers of womens development,
  such as race and social class.

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Eva Peron (Argentina)

• Started her career as an actress on the radio and
  in films
• 1945- married Colonel Juan Domingo Peron.
• Helped gather support for Peron among the poorer
  sectors of population
• Leader of Womens Branch of Peronist Party
• Eva Peron Foundation- supported poor and working
  classes, offered social welfare services
• 1947- promoted suffrage right for women
• Promoted equal rights for illegitimate children
• Passionate speech-maker, great support for
  president Peron

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Michelle Bachelet (Chile)

• Elected as a President in Jan. 2006 (Christian
  Democratic Party)
• Ms Bachelet was jailed and tortured by Chile's
  Pinochet military junta
• promised to build a more open, diverse and
  tolerant society
• Wants to bridge the gap between rich and poor and
  empower women and indigenous people
• Built a 1st gender-balanced administration in
  history of Chile
• Will continue pro-free market policies, improve
  economy performance

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Womens Activism in Latin America

• Raised public awareness, attracted attention of
  international human rights organizations
• Questioned autocratic and brutal regimes,
  undermined their legitimacy and called their
  rulers to account (Brazil, Chile, Argentina)
• Promoted electoral democracy
• Joined revolutionary movements (Sandinista,
  Zapatista Movements)
• Focused on womens civil status, labor laws,
  educational opportunity
• Suffrage struggles
• Increased political participation, presented a
  fresh alternative to male leadership (Argentina,
  Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile)
• 4th World Conference on Women (1995 Beijing)-
  decrease of womens underrepresentation in
  legislative bodies, introduce quotas for female
  representation in national parliaments.
• Quota Laws- political parties increase number
  of female candidates (20-30).

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Violence, Power and Gender

• Gender, race and social class remain main
  barriers for womens equal participation in
  social, political and economic life
• Women are victims of domestic violence, sexual
  harassment, sexual abuse by security forces
  (Mexico case)
• Weak legal protection (Guatemala case)
• Insufficient political and economic
  representation caused by traditional concept of
  womens work
• Women are victims of neo-liberal policies,
  Structural Adjustment Programs.

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Why are women the victims of SAPs?

• Neo-liberal economic theories are neutral but
  they are often implemented in social environments
  which are not gender neutral (conventionally
  recognized womens work assumptions are still
  alive)
• Reduced public spending on health result
  increasing health problems for women/mothers
• Cost recovery principles were introduced in
  many adjusting states which reduced girls
  chances for education
• Through devaluation and subsidy cuts the prices
  for goods are rising- womens household manager
  roles are made more difficult
• Women are severely effected by rationalization
  of inefficient businesses whereby many female
  workers (low-level and unskilled positions) lose
  their jobs
• Some export-orientated industries prefer hiring
  female workers (as manufacturing workforce) to
  reduce variable production costs because women
  are less likely to complain about poor working
  conditions and low wages or organize strikes.
  They are also better in detailed work and are
  easier to control by skilled male supervisors.

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Do Democratic Regimes Provide More Opportunities
for Women?

• Suffrage rights granted by autocratic and
  semi-democratic regimes (Argentina, Brazil,
  Chile, Mexico)
• Conservative regimes wanted to gain support of
  female electorate, imposed (without democratic
  debate) reforms which promoted womens interests,
  granted property rights for women, equal
  responsibility for child care (Argentina, Brazil,
  Chile)
• Young democratic regimes desired to dominate in
  the government, distributed high ranking
  positions among themselves and their colleges,
  disregarded womens demand for political and
  economic participation

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Bibliography

• Smith, Peter H. (2005), Democracy in Latin
  America, Oxford University Press, New York.
• Vanden, Harry E., Prevost, Gary (2nd ed.) (2006),
  Politics of Latin America, Oxford University
  Press, New York.
• Desai, V. and Potter, R.B. (ed.) (2002), The
  Companion to Development, Hodder Arnold, London.
• http//www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?idENGU
  SA20061005001
• http//www.chileangovernment.cl
• http//news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas
• www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/
  index.html
• www.mujeres.amnistia.org.mx/section.php?namenotic
  ias_23112004

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Questions?