Role of Women in Colombia

Women in Colombia

There is no, or little American style women's lib here. Being an ardent US style feminist I was originally surprised and chagrined by this.One might say that it is because women are oppressed by the male dominated society. One might, but they would be wrong.

Women have organized in conflict zones as a force for peace. Here's a reference from Oxford University.. https://www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/news/building-the-city-of-women-creating-a-site-of-feminist-resistance-in-a-northern-colombian-conflict-zone.html

In the urban middle class though....

Society here is different, not better, not worse. Women are free to pursue careers and education. There are very few however who choose entrepreneurship except in a mom and pop business and the like. The avg pay for men and women both is very low, and so disparity is an issue but not significant for a very good reason I explain below.

No they don't rule the externals ... Few women do in the US as well. What they rule absolutely is the family, the home, and the relationship sphere.

What you have here is the STRONG vertical family where all contribute to the commonwealth. Grandma's home has many small bedrooms. It is biggish, but contains the sons and daughters and grandchildren etc. To maintain this most have to contribute cash and chores etc so that everyone can live well.

A side effect of this is that abortion is virtually unheard of. .The young woman, married or not, knows that she will get the total support of the family in raising the kids. No stigma!

All of the Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, govt officials I deal with are women. They do not rake it in as they would in the states... the vertical family takes care though. They and others can pursue their careers AND be parents as well knowing there is QUALITY care for their kids. Single moms living alone... rare... get govt supported childcare. All medical bills are paid for by the state subsidized EPS system... socialized medicine. Incl pediatrics and prenatal care of course.

Beatriz will not let me lift a finger. Is that because she is subjugated, or because she knows I might mess it up and her home reflects on her!? I, of course, volunteer all the time to help out. Forget it.

We also have a housekeeper twice a week. Startlingly Inexpensive. Our housekeeper contributes to her vertical family.   Beatriz will NOT let me outside with a wrinkled shirt or unshined shoes. It reflects on her. And thus we are all living very well. Our vertical family is four in our home, and others living nearby and visiting all the time.

On the Gringo Paisa page a young sociology major asked how she could help liberate the women of Medellin. OK... I don't think that the US has the answers... and you can come down here and tell the women what this sort of liberation would be like, and if it would be something they would want before implying that they need it. Liberation of the lower classes of displaced women is not, I believe, what this person was talking about.

So displaced persons is another story.

Prostitution is legal here. That's another story too..