Gender roles and stereotypes.

Nowadays, a new feminist movement is happening in our country .It is questioning our social relations, including the educational model and our laws. In this context, is easy to empathise: Women have the same value and potencial than a men and all genders deserve same treatment.

But, we are so used to live in a macho way. Little actions and actitudes perpetuate the steriotypes and slow down the change into an equal society. For example: when I go to a restorant, the bill is ussualy given to the male in the table. When I go with my boyfriend to a hardware store, the seller offers help to him , ignoring me. When I say that I don't want to have children, people had said to me "you will change your mind" or "but it is the most beutiful thing in life". I can keep  showing more examples of how  deep the macho actitudes are placed in our daily behaviour,  but the importat thing is became aware of that. We must re-think our way of living and interact with other. Always questioning "I'm doing this/that because I'm female/male or because I want to? " , before criticize how a woman looks (I say woman because we don't used to criticize males so often) we have to think "Why I'm judging her look if that doesn't change the who she is?etc.

For everyone is difficult to recognize our own prejudices. I will leave you some questions to think. What do you think when you see a stunning woman working in a high standard work? When someone is a bad driver, do you assume that is a woman? What do you think when a woman speaks freely about sex?  If you have children, would you leave them with a male nursery school techer? What do you think about cases of working women and hosekeeping men?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYRg2DPj-FM

Photograph

Hello, this time I have to tell you what is the story behind a photo. It was a difficult task for me because I have a lot of meaningful photos and I didn´t know wich one to choose. I reviewed my old facebook photos and I found this:

My uncle, Fernando, and I dancing Tango.

This photo was taken at the Municipal Theatre of Calama in 2009 . My grandfathers began a Tango Club in Calama, they became dancing teachers and my whole family learnt to dance tango or helped with organization of the club. They taught me to dance when I was around 5 years old and I'm still loving it.  Every year (1997-2009) was celebrated a festival  named "Tango en el Desierto" where dancers from Chile, Argentina and Uruguay participated. That festival was very special for me because there I knew wonderful people and dancers who taught me so much. Those were marvelous moments in my natal city, with family and friend, doing what I love.
 It was celebrated always in November, so I had to miss school classes and travel. I prepared myself months earlier practicing, studying and doing exams before the travel. It was very exciting await for November each year, scape for the  daily life and became quasi dancer for few days. 

Abortion

Abortion is such a controversial topic. There are so many ways to analyze it and so many things to say about it.

First I want to say: Chile is a secular country, where religious freedom is guaranteed. In abortion discussions I’ve seen politicians who try to stop progress in these topic based on their religious beliefs.  I think, we cannot allow political discussion based on personal opinions or religious norms. This discussion must be done based on facts, research, public health impact, etc. Because no one can impose his/her own lifestyle or religious in others.

In our country , even when is punished , around  60.000 clandestine abortions are made each year. Changes in the law and the implementation would improve the safety of the procedure, causing fewer women deaths and complications. But, I think, it won’t encourage more women to do abortions because who needed it, are already doing it, but in an illicit way,  putting their health at risk. In Canada, where abortions are legal and part of their public health program, de number of abortions is decreasing, also decreased the complications and deaths.

I think, we need a better sexual education and better legislation about abortions. I’m agreeing with the depenalization of abortion in all circumstances, because women have the right of decide if they want to be pregnant and the contraceptive method are not infallible. Because a pregnant woman have right about her body, and she isn`t just an incubator. 

 “The 3 causes” legislation  was a good first step, but is not enough. Because is not fair that poor girls are dying in clandestine clinic and going to jail while rich girls  are paying illicit abortions in private clinics hiding under “appendicitis” .

This is a public health issue that must be continue in discussion, putting aside religious ideals  and taking charge of our reality.