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The Role of Women in Venezuela Essay

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Venezuela see’s the role of women in different ways depending on where they live, by tradition women should perform household work and may work outside their homes but the work must be related to domestic services. In rural areas women must share the physical work with men to make a living. Women are legally equal to men in Venezuela but they live in a patriarchal societies which has a national brand of “machismo.” Machismo is the term when men are controlling and don’t allow women to be their own self. Although women had equal rights, the ones that had been active in the struggle for democracy found themselves deprived of its privileges. The Coordinator of Women’s Non-Governmental Organizations (CONG), united twenty-six women’s groups and …show more content…

Their actions demonstrated the value of active and participatory democracy, which was to be incorporated in the new Constitution. New laws were passed which gave the poor access to health, education and basic services. Subsequent legislation saw laws dedicated to addressing sexism and intervening with the family. These laws were combined with affirmative action, measures focussing on poor and indigenous women to ensure that they receive the best treatment when it comes to loans, housing, health and education. In addition to rallies in local and national politics, women in Venezuela are also quickly reaching groundbreaking levels of economic empowerment under the administration of President Chávez. The new Constitution set out important legal measures, including a donation to women who work at home, eligible for social security benefits. A key factor in the support of women’s participation towards the economy is institutions. For example, Banmujer, the Women's Development Bank of Venezuela, is the only national financial institution of its kind. Banmujer gives small, low-interest loans to women in order to help them form businesses. The goals of the bank are to create employment and reduce poverty among women, encourage women's participation in the economic and social transformations that are taking place as part of Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution. Banmujer was established in honor of International Women's Day. On the fifth anniversary of that first loan, President

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