gender

What is 'feminicidio'? And why is it such a problem in Latin America?

By Kristen Martinez-Gugerli
February 14, 2018

Out of the 25 countries in the world with the highest rates of violence against women in the world, 14 of them are in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN Women). Of the top 10 countries considered to be the most dangerous for females, 7 are in Latin America (UN Women). These disturbing statistics have led people to question what exactly it is about Latin America that makes it so prone to this form of violence—and what, if anything, can be done to change this pattern.

Who Owns the Assets Acquired with Remittances?

By Carmen Diana Deere and Gina Alvarado
March 8, 2017
ecuador home

One of the motivations for international migration is often to save enough from work abroad to purchase a housing lot and/or construct a dwelling or to acquire other assets such as consumer durables.  But who owns the assets acquired with remittances?  The migrant who sends them, the remittance manager in the country of origin, or both together? And does the gender of the remitter or remittance manager matter?

Michelle Bachelet Takes a Stand for Women's Rights in Chile

By Sophia Winston
October 12, 2016

After three years of the heading the organization, UN Women, which strives for international gender equality and empowerment of women, Michelle Bachelet returned to her seat as president of Chile. This is her second term in office and she is focusing especially hard on equality for women. As the leader of UN Women, Bachelet and other diplomats, worked on the 58th session of the Commission of the Status of Women to stake out five of the most important women’s equality agreements to improve on in international law.

Women, Machismo, and Politics in Latin America

By Susan Wiedel
October 5, 2016

In her first presidential speech in 2005, Michelle Bachelet remarked, “Who would have said…15 years ago that a woman would be elected president?”1 Yet many countries, such as the United States, have not been able to celebrate the election of a woman as head-of-state. Worldwide, representation of women in politics remains low: as of January 2015, only 22 percent of all national legislators were women.

Femicide: The Battle Ahead

By Marisapr
October 4, 2016

Monday, September 21, 2015, marked the one year anniversary of the death of Paola Acosta, a woman who suffered her fate at the hands of her ex-partner1, Gonzalo Lizarralde. She was raped, killed and dumped in a sewer together with her one-year-old daughter, Martina, who she had in common with her attacker. Remarkably, Martina survived. Wednesday, September 23, Gonzalo Lizarralde, marked the first day of the prosecution for the murder of Paola2.

Gender versus “the People“? Mobilization, Co-option and Participation in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Brazil

By Gisela Zaremberg
August 10, 2016

Original article: Zaremberg, Gisela. 2016. "Gender versus “the People“? Mobilization, Co-option and Participation in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Brazil," Latin American Research Review 51(1): 84-108. DOI: 10.1353/lar.2016.0009

This article revisits a question pointedly asked in 1985 by Maxine Molyneux, (theorist, analyst and key feminist activist), based on the case of Nicaragua, namely, “What is the capacity of socialist governments to satisfy their commitment to the emancipation of women?”

New Law in Colombia Addresses Rise in Acid Attacks

A crime normally associated with countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, acid attacks have been on the rise in Colombia. In 2014, more than 100 cases were reported, with nearly 1,000 reported in the past decade. According to executive director of the Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI), a nonprofit group in London, per capita Colombia has one of the highest rates of acid attacks in the world.

Where the Women Lead

By Susan Wiedel
October 10, 2016

If Bill Clinton had been president of a Latin American country, then it would be statistically probable that Hillary Clinton––a Yale educated lawyer, former U.S. Senator, and former U.S. Secretary of State––would have been elected president by now. Some may think this a bold supposition, but it is a supposition rich in historical precedent.

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