Group items tagged

In 2005, Mexico declared that a sexual attack by a husband is still defined as rape. In 1994, the country ruled that it was simply "an undue exercise of conjugal rights". Under this ruling, women could not report rape by their husband. The article states that 47 percent of women report being the victims of violence, and 84 percent of domestic violence victims are silent.

This article depicts women in Latin America who are involved with the current day social movements. It provides us with information regarding the leading participants in the social movements and exactly what the social movements are. Some of them focus on human rights and collective consumption like the cost of living.

An audio clip of a woman telling her story of her illegal abortion and the repercussions it had on her body and her presence within her society. Again, we see the struggle between the religion of Mexico and the push for women's rights.

The region including Latin America and the Caribbean is the area with the most homophobic crimes committed in recent years. Countries including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia have had an unfortunate recent history of homophobic crimes. This article, from ipsnews.net., describes how IDAHO (the International Day Against Homophobia Committee) is asking for an international day against homophobia. They chose May 17th as the day of recognition, because on May 17, 1990, homosexuality was removed from the World Health Organization's list of mental disorders. In the past few years, many Latin American countries have developed slogans and media campaigns against homophobia and the transmission of HIV/AIDS. Many activist groups in Latin America (and worldwide) are vying for political action and equal rights laws.

By giving women the tools and knowledge about their reproductive rights and options for contraception, abortions, and knowledge about diseases, this Council attempts to empower them through increased safety and awareness of women's health services.

This article is from 2006, when Maria Teresa Fernandez was allowed to become a judge, which Spanish Law had previously banned. I think it relates to the course because, even though it is in Spain, the machismo culture still exists, and this demonstrates how women's rights are threatening the strength of the machismo culture.

To date, nearly 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region have enacted laws against domestic violence or have characterized the violence as a crime. Despite these laws, many women in Latin America and the Caribbean continue to be failed by the legal system. (October 2001)

This is an article discussing the lack of protection for women against acts of domestic violence in Latin America. The article addresses the difficulty for women to report these crimes due to lack of rights and enforcement of the laws.

This is the website of a human rights group that, while specific to Argentina, reflects the nature of the political turbulence which many Latin American countries have endured, contextualizing the contemporary political situations. Their continued work provides insight into the role that women play in Latin American society and activism.

Here is a news video about new sex education books being distributed to schools in Mexico City. Students were glad to get the books that had real answers to their questions about sex and sexuality, as well as information about women's rights, domestic violence, and respect for different sexualities. Church groups and a parents association are strongly against the new book, and one member claimed that it "promotes death."

On Monday in Buenos Aires, Argentina two men were bestowed a marriage license and are planning on what appears to be the first legal homosexual wedding in Latin America. The couple obtained the authority to marry last week when a judge declared that a prohibition on same-sex marriage violated Argentina's Constitution. Mauricio Marci, mayor of Buenos Aires revealed that the city would not appeal the court order, thus prompting other homosexual couples to address their rights in court. However, the mayor did not appear to be an enthusiastic advocate for the endorsement of same sex marriage license as he said, " We have to live with and accept this reality: the world is moving in this direction." No other country in Latin America permits same-sex marriage, although some jurisdictions warrant same-sex partners to configure civil unions with many similar rights.

This BBC article contains a timeline of political, social, economical, and cultural changes in Guatemala from the 1500's to the present day. It marks from 1970 up until the end of the civil war as a time when human rights were violated. The postwar years mainly focus on political reform.

This webpage includes a basic timeline of Guatemala's history from the beginning of the Spanish colonization to the present. It outlines social-democratic reforms, violations of human rights, the end of the civil war, storm related deaths, murders, etc. This relates to our class because it provides an easy to read outline of Guatemala's history.

Legalizing abortion has been a slow process in Latin America. Only a handful of countries, including Cuba and Guyana, have legalized abortions in the first trimester. In 2007, when this article was written, there was a legal debate deciding whether or not to legalize abortion in Mexico. The Roman Catholic Church is adamantly opposed to legalizing abortion, and studies found that people in rural areas were antiabortion. Thousands of women die in Latin America from unsafe and illegal abortions, and it is apparent that the illegality of abortion does not reduce the number of women getting them.

Gay rights protesters plan to hold a Gay Pride parade in a Mexican border town that recently outlawed cross-dressing.

Bold move for Mexico due to its strong, cultural foundation in the Roman Catholic Church. Here, we watch as the religious opposes the social and vice versa. It's women's rights vs. Roman Catholic doctrine.

This article is about poorer women in Peru dealing with the conflicting issues of whether birth control is right or wrong. It gives a specific example of a woman who killed 2 of her 6 children because she could not afford to take care of them anymore. The poorer people who are also Catholic are having to deal with the large amounts of children and the small amount of money. Some women are up for going to non-natural birth control meathods, but some say their husbands are afraid this will make them more promiscuous.

Dalia Acosta's article addresses the gender equality issues throughout Latin America. Her interview of Julio César Gonzaléz presents an engaging, and possibly controversial, argument that women are not the only victims of Latin America's dominant and rigid patriarchal system and hierarchy: men also face an oppression, although different, due to the socially constructed concept of masculinity.

This article explains the issues of gender roles in Latin America. Julio César González, the Cuban General coordinator of the Ibero-American Masculinity Networkstates, "Until we scrutinise men's social roles and the concept of masculinity, we'll just be drawing circles around the women victims of the system." After completing 20 years of research in gender studies he tried to implement his findings in the real world, but faced resistance from people who only wanted to continue with the traditional stereotypes. Although the Cuban authorities have allowed women to be integrated into once all-male domains, there is still a long way for women to go to reach full equality.

This article explores the roles of women in Latin America and the Caribbean. The article begins with the traditional view of women and their stereotypes. Then it moves into the feminist movements and how women are trying to recreate their identities. It discusses the conflict of feminism in a patriarchal society and the women of Latin America and the Caribbean can rise above the traditions and have equal rights. Women are trying to transform this exclusive society in to an inclusive one.

This article talks about how homosexuality is coming out more and more in Latin America, and people are becoming less afraid of the idea through the support of the government movements. It talks about how the term "macho," though still existing, is starting to give way to a more "gay-friendly" region. This article also gives a bit of history on the gay, lesbian, and bi communities and their efforts in Latin America, and how it is rapidly moving to a more accepting environment despite the religious upheaval with it.

An article published in February 2009 discusses the change in attitude of towards homosexual people in Latin America. Ten years ago the area still promoted "macho" attitude and took on a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude, however, today groups are fighting for gay rights and making improvements. In 2003 Mexico even passed an anti-discrimination law that included sexual orientation. This new toleration is mainly due to the region no longer being authoritarian as well as gay and lesbian activists groups making a different in government and their local areas.

While machismo is a concept that dictates many aspects of Latin American male behavior, it has particular relevance to male sexual culture. In terms of machismo, males have an "expansive and almost uncontrollable" sexual appetite, and it is their right to satisfy that desire in the ways they choose (1). In contrast, female sexuality is seen as an object over which the male has control.