Women's Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean

Although the issue of women’s rights has attracted international recognition and support, women still face many inequalities and barriers. Gender-based violence and economic discrimination are problems in many parts of the world.

Women. This word creates an image- an image of a mother, a sister, a daughter. Women are of the basics part of life, they are essential not only to society, but to the human species. Therefore, women should be treated with equal importance and given the same rights regardless of gender. Society has come a long way since 1920 and giving women the right to vote. However, there a parts of the world where women are treated unequally in respect of men and are fighting for that equality- a basic human right. Women especially in the developing world struggle with unjust inequalities. Common abuses that claim women are sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence, including honor killings and mass rape; and maternal mortality. Reportage and storytelling of these horrible abuses are combined in the nonfiction book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, where Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn argue that the oppression of women is the worst current global issue that calls for change.

The Dominican Republic (D.R.) has a deep-rooted history with the country of Haiti. This makes sense since they share the same Island. Yet, the culture, cuisine, and native languages are different and unique from one another. I was born in Haiti and spent a majority of my life living there until I immigrated to the United States with my parents. Although I have never been in the D.R. I have an interest in its history and people. As a female who has just entered the American marketplace as a worker I took particular interest in the role of women in the Dominican Republic workforce. In effect, I chose to explore the role of women in the labor force and how gender inequality affects their hiring prospects. Specifically, the unique challenges that affect Dominican women culturally that may prohibit them from entering the labor force. Additionally, systems of oppression that affect Dominican women 's opportunity for upward mobility. In exploration of these topics I used two academic research articles. First, “Social Context, Household Composition and Employment Among Migrant and Nonmigrant Dominican Women” by Douglas T. Gurak and Mary M. Kritz which explores how the household composition (among other things) of Dominican women affects their likelihood to be employed (Gurak & Kritz, 1996). Second, “Joining the Dark Side: Women in Management in the Dominican Republic”

Namely, many Latin American women seeking employment often find work in the informal economy. In the informal economy, they have the options of choosing work such as domestic labor, street vending, or an employee in the maquiladoras. These types of jobs are not always valuable as the working conditions are unsafe and the pay rate is inconsistent. If given the chance, however, Latin American women may have the chance to join the formal economy by finding employment in commerce, education, health or entrepreneurship. Within the formal economy, these women can have job security, protection from workplace abuse, and a steady income. Given these facts, the workforce is strongly male dominated and will continue to do so. Unless politicians in Latin American effectively handle discrimination of women in their economical debates, how will they succeed like their male

Analyzing Patriarchy, Hierarchy and Gender in Latin America The injustice of societies is the key trait of Latin America in the nineteenth century, which builds on the foundations of patriarchal and hierarchical order. The film Camila and the book The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas illustrate the social tension and male-dominated society. Camila chooses to live with the priest that she falls in love with, instead of coping with her family and the governor, Rosas. She breaks the patriarchy by being her authentic self and marrying the person she loves, the priest. Bras Cubas, as a dead man, critiques the Brazil society by telling his stories and life.

The perception of inequality was evident in the colonial Spanish America, man belief that women were lacked in capacity to reason as soundly as men. A normal day for European women in the new world was generally characterized by male domination, for example marriage was arranged by the fathers, women never go out except to go church, women didn’t have the right to express their opinions about politic or society issues. Subsequent to all these bad treats European women try to find different ways to escape from man domination and demonstrate their intellectual capacities, for example women used become part of a convent, write in secret their desires and disappointments, and even dress as man to

“The quinceañera is like a rehearsal wedding without a groom, and it sends a clear message to the Latina girl: We expect you to get married, have children, devote yourself to your family” (49). This shows the expectations young women are addressed in Latin American families. At every quince there are a set of rituals before finalizing the entrance of woman. Besides the party a mass is conducted before hand. They're “promising God that you’re not going to have sex till you’re back at the altar, getting married” (Priscilla 52). A quince is a celebration constructed through society but built on conservative religious values. Unfortunately, this is not one hundred percent effective to young girls to give insight that they have a whole life ahead

“Without doubt, the last century has witnessed an unprecedented expansion of women’s rights, in one of the most profound social revolutions the world has ever seen. One hundred years ago, only two countries allowed women to vote. Today, that right is virtually universal. Millions of men and women around the world today advocate to end violence against women, and a record two-thirds of countries have passed laws against it.” – Michelle Bachelet, UN Women Executive Director

Regarding females in the workplace, the common opinion across the American continent used to be that by working outside the home, women were abandoning their primary job in life—that of a mother and wife, taking care of the house and the family. In modern times, Latinas take on multiple roles; not only are they still expected to look put together and run the family and the household—for most Latinas in the US, without any outside help—, but many are also breadwinners, some by choice and others by default. The decision made by many Latinas to work has already changed society due to growing feelings of self-empowerment. This newly discovered power is reflected in the increased use of contraceptives by Latin American women. Despite the Roman Catholic teachings, Latinas have taken matters into their own hands by using birth control to decrease the size of their families and lessen their burden, thus allowing them to fulfill their multidimensional desires and duties.

In past centuries, Latin American women have always been there to fulfill their duties as wives and mothers at home. Women were use to working inside the home while their husbands worked outside of the home. During the 20th century, women around the world started to seek changes for themselves. They wanted to be considered equal to their husbands and wanted the opportunity to obtain a job outside of the home. A decrease in the need for traditional craft workers, such as weavers and sewers, greatly influence the decision for change in women. They were no longer needed to make clothing or prepare food and candy the traditional way. Handmade items were pushed aside for the new and improved “factory-made products” (Murray 158). Latin American women made a living off of selling their handmade items; now they were no longer needed.

Education is directly linked to the professional career of a person. In Lating America, today, and more specifically in cities, women are studying longer and therefore have access to a better-valued profession. In 2005 women accounted for 39.3% of the workforce. However, the area where concentrated the female work force is that of domestic work. Since the 1970s, many women come from the countryside to find jobs. Uneducated or even illiterate, they have no choice but to make this work there. This activity is frowned upon and their bosses mostly exploit women.

Women of Latin American culture have incessantly ensued the potent gender roles that have become a social construction of their society over innumerable decades. The profound author of Insurgent Mexico, John Reed, imparts his experiences with the revolutionary leaders of the Mexican Revolution, like Pancho Villa, and was able to witness their culture and more specifically the roles these Mexican women were forced to render by their chauvinistic counterparts. This period of revolution, started to grant women new mantles usually reserved only for men, like participating in fighting for the success of the revolution; any preeminent changes would soon approach, but in the meantime Mexican society run by men enjoyed the regulated traditional

The discussed factors are all relevant in the case of Izzie, a Latin-American female. Various studies have established that while gender oppression occur in both males and females, females are more likely to suffer from oppression and discrimination in society, including social services (Matthies, 2012). Within the context of social service, cite and cite explain that gender inequality is observed on how the current policies and regulations are implemented that is oppressive to women. The most significant of these issues

Speaking of gender equality, there have been significant achievements for female population in Dominican Republic in recent years, as greater access to education and paid labor market, but there is a burden in the struggle for women's rights due to a high rate on violence against women at this country. Dominican Republic is ranked as one of the countries most affected by domestic violence. According to statistics from 2015 there were 144 women deaths due to violence in Dominican Republic. This data was taken from Report on the feminicides in the Dominican Republic, generated by the Attorney General of the

All around the world women are crying out, claiming "that it is no longer acceptable to discuss women's rights as separate form human rights," (Hillary Clinton -- Tumulty, 1997). The abuses females endure are found everywhere in places like Senegal, Bangladesh, and Berjing, China. Abortion, denial of political rights, and suppression of speech (Tumulty) are forces upon women daily. But feminism has taken a strong hold of the women around the world, giving them hope for equal rights in the future. "Our community could see we were a society of strong willed women," prides Faustima Nunez, a resident of Chica, "and we are no