The+Changing+Female+Role+in+Latin+America

= The Changing Female Role in Latin America =

====In Latin America today, “Woman are demanding to be recognized as full participants in the public world and no longer wish to have their interests represented solely by men” (Icken Safa 355). The female role in the Spanish-speaking world has moved towards equality in the professional work force. While this idea of equality between men and women is in no way believed throughout all of Latin America, the younger generations of men and women are making strides towards this ideal. Traditional definitions of gender have deteriorated considerably as women have gotten better education and begun to work (Lewis). While several countries have made strides aimed towards similar rights for men and women, in regard to the domestic sphere, women remain to be seen as subordinate to men. Women are still expected to perform and act as the traditional female role because of the controversies surrounding the issue and due to the term “machismo”, which refers to the expectations of the male role.====

====In many Latin American families today, it is necessary to have two incomes and a parent or relative to raise the children and complete the housework. In most cases, the woman of the household is not only working outside the home but is taking care of the housework as well. This has contributed to the equality of women in the work force but has not contributed to the abandonment of the traditional female role. Within the last few decades, Cuban women in particularly, have achieved success of equality in the work force. They make up almost half of the seats in parliament and over half of the work force media type="youtube" key="4SZUUUS46qk" height="279" width="374" align="right"(Acosta). However, at home they are still expected to perform their duties as women in their responsibility to care for their husband and family. In Chilean society, divorce is illegal. It is one of the last countries to have this and displays their strong belief in the importance of a nuclear family and the gender roles within them. Abortion is also illegal and birth control is hard to attain (Lewis), proving the lack of rights women have over their bodies and personal choice of reproduction. However, Chile elected their first woman president in the 2006 election, Michelle Bachelet. Today, Bachelet is the "UN Women Executive Director". In many ways, these facts seem to contradict themselves. The fact that Chile is a country where abortion and divorce is illegal yet they elect a woman President, proves the idea that women are equal to men in the work force and unequal in the household and domestic sphere. Research indicates that traditional gender roles, where women are passive and men active, prevail in sexual relationships as well (Melendez). In some cases, women in Latin America are taught that they need to please their husband in all facets of the relationship. This also shows the strong presence of the “female role” within family and marriage dynamics. ====



Gender Equality
====The issue of gender roles and the women’s movement is very controversial throughout Latin America. According to the journalist Dalia Acosta, “constructing gender equality in Latin American societies remains an apparently arduous task.” This is most likely due to the “age-old ideas and traditions that regard the subordination of women as normal and natural.” (Acosta). This strong belief that women should serve men in regard to the household is prevalent throughout Latin America because it is so embedded in the culture. In Chilean society, when taking the marriage vows, the phrase “**women should obey their husbands**” is included in the family law that is supposed to be read, but often is not (Lewis). Although this sentence is included, in many cases it is not read because of the conflicting views and controversial topic. Human-trafficking in Mexico continues to be a problem today. Women make up the majority of people affected by human trafficking due to the of sex trafficking. This gendered force of globalization is another example of the way in which women are seen as inferior to men and thus can be seen as commodities. Religion could also play a part in the traditional view of women and their roles. Colombian Pentecostal churches support the idea that men should have authority over women. While religion is not solely the reason for this tension, it still contributes to the dispute. When looking at the changes in the status of women made over the last century, it seem likely that with time, there will be a significant decline of these controversies.====

====While there are stereotypes of the female role in Latin America, there are also strong gender norms that surround the male role. The term “machismo” is based on the male role and the expectations in Latin America of how they should act. According to the //Dictionary of Mexican Cultural Code Words//, “Machismo meant that a man could not let anything detract from his image of himself as a man's man, regardless of the suffering it brought on himself and the women around him.... The proof of every man's manliness was his ability to completely dominate his wife and children, to have sexual relations with any woman he wanted, to never let anyone question, deprecate or attempt to thwart his manhood, and never to reveal his true feelings to anyone”. This strong belief of what it means to be a man contributes greatly to the role of women within these societies. This binary of men and women is used as a tool to define and categorize people based on their gender. Traditional practices such as Spanish Bullfighting and Mexican Wrestling, are physical examples of machismo. Men are put into the category of strong and aggressive, while women are expected to be soft-spoken and passive. With terms such as “machismo” within a society, it is difficult for women to venture outside these norms and therefore be seen as equal to men.====

====However, the younger generations have begun to progress towards equality for both men and women. Based on the TGI Colombia study of 7,035 Colombians, 21% of men ages 55-64 agreed with the phrase, **“A women’s place is at home”**, while only 10% of men ages 20-24 agreed. The younger generations of men are exposed to more powerful female leaders and average women in the work force compared to that of the older generations. This constant exposure helps to break down traditional gender norms. This proves that over time the status of women is rising and developing towards equality for both sexes.====

The Future of the Traditional Female Role
====The female role in Latin America is evolving and shifting from the traditional, to one that is progressive. While there have been significant strides towards this ideal of equality, there are many factors that combat against these accomplishments. This topic is so controversial because of the strong gender norms that are in place. However, when referring to the studies and articles regarding the changes that have been made, it is the younger generations that will have the power to challenge and change these norms. Over time and progress, the traditional female role will deteriorate in not only the professional work force, but in the domestic sphere as well.====