Mujeres and Gender Roles

Gender and Las Mujeres de Chile (Chilean Women)

Gender roles and machismo are very much still present through Latin America. In this blog I will be discussing gender roles and the women roles in Chile. The women of Chile have faced economic/political conflicts or issues as well as poverty. As women they unite and organized to cope with these issues. In the past and present this is very much the reality of women in Latin America; this oppression has led to women (regardless of class) social movements. Feminism had an uprising in Latin America.


                  More facts of Chilean Women:
- The women of Chile were among the first to be able to get access to education and a preofessional career.
- They were the first in Latin America to be admitted to universities
- The first female doctor was in Latin America was from Chile.
Unfortunatly due to Machismo these women could be professionals, yet could not work in their field.
Winn. Peter. Americas: The Changeing Face of the Americas.

    1st Feminist Organization: MEMCH
MEMCH-- Movement for the Emancipation of Chilean Women  this became Chile's first feminist group during the 1930's. This org. showed and represented the suffrage of women in the country. Women joined the cause but the fire died down soon.

Work Force: Fruit Industry

Chile is know for it's talented musicians and music, wine and fruit. Chile's fruit industry grew the demand of labor grew: the expansion of women employment grew. The demand of the fruit led to the seasonal and cheap employment of women. Chile had major chances occurred in its countryside. Oppression of women was not just that of a patriarchal culture but as well as social exclusions and inequalities that disadvantaged women of economic growth.

During the dictatorship women were brought to the forefront of the economy due to the demand of labour in the fruit indistry. These women were working and my working in the fruit industry these women were able to gain authority in their homes. Although, these women worked in hard working conditions, this is not what gave women power; what gave these women power was being being able to work and have a salary similar to that of men. In 2011 there was an interview with the AMAURI (Asociacion National de Mujeres Rurales e Indigenas) women whom worked in the fruit industry and has led to gender emancipation in Chile.

http://www.ufjf.br/revistaipotesi/files/2011/05/09-Temporeras-and-shifting-gender-Ipotesi_16.1.pdf

Chilenas During the Dictatorship
      The beginning of a tragedy

 

The military wanted women to embrace their traditional household/gender roles. They wanted women to focus on being homemakers and take care of the family rather than to become politically active. Poverty often forced women to join a Pro-democracy groups. Soon women began joining social movements to fight for women rights. Many women began to joining protest.

During the dictatorship of Pinochet women of Chile shared a common experiences on being political repression. These women create tapestries that showed the brutality during the dictatorship and the many disappearing bodies; these tapestries are known as arpilleras.These arpilleras symbolized women's protest against the dictatorship, and had a great influence in Chile and internationally. These tapestries were able to preserve the memories of those whom had disappeared, poverty, crime,and unemployment that Pinochets dictatorship had brought about. These arpilleras were able to empower these women politically and they were able to challenge Machismo, they began to claim and establish more roles for women.

They began to form arpillera workshops in which consisted of women and 80% of these women were poor/working class, and the rest of then from the middle class. The apilleras were made for everyday survival. Since many of the woman's husbands went missing and or murdered, these women had to support their families.
 

http://www.cetri.be/spip.php?article911