 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Inicio Quiénes somos Corresponsales Resumen Semanal Coberturas internacionales Servicios SEMlac Archivos Enlaces |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Peru: Is this the end of sexually charged advertising?By Zoraida Portillo
Beer consumption will no longer be related to sexual success, and the image of half-naked women will not be used to promote the beverage. This is the first time a private company agrees to such an action.
Backus’ decision goes even further: it will allow FEM-TV, a body made up of five feminist organizations, to supervise their advertising materials.
"We are holding meetings with Backus representatives on a regular basis. They have been very receptive to our comments and suggestions. There has already been some change in its contents", Roxana Jurado told WNS. She is the representative of Calandria, one of the NGOs represented in the new body.
Backus covers 92 percent of the local beer market and had always ranked high on the list of candidates for the TV Toad, an annual award granted to the most sexist spot producer.
They conducted their own market research and realized that they can change contents and keep up both consumers and profits, Jurado added. FEM-TV has been empowered to veto any commercial that is considered “offensive” or “sexist”.
The Code features 11 articles, including promoting responsible beer consumption and refraining from disseminating sexually charged messages. Advertising agencies have made it clear that festive motifs will not be removed. They include beach images, young people, parties, and so on.
Maritza Espinosa, a show-business reporter, told WNS that she is skeptical about Backus’ decision. "Self-regulations are very much influenced by commercial purposes", she indicated.
"I think self-regulation has to do with certain considerations. First, creative staff members at advertising agencies do not risk formulating new proposals because they either fear rejection or try to do the easiest thing. This is the reason why half-naked women are used in beer commercials and women cooking are used in noodles advertising", she commented.
"Second, customers follow stereotypes and do not accept new things. Three, some commercials are so innovative that it is not easy to remember the trademark. The safest way to proceed: a woman’s body that is attractive to the eye, but does not overshadow the message", she explained.
"I do not trust self-regulations very much. I think advertising changes when the agencies feel that a proposal is no longer effective in terms of “sale”. This is what is happening now", she added.
Some marketing experts indicated that Backus’ decision is part and parcel of an advertising strategy internationally implemented by SAB Miller. It is based on elements far away from women wearing very brief bathing suits. "This is no longer selling because of over-saturation", they remarked.
SAB Miller owns most shares at Backus and Bavaria in Colombia. In this country, the change in advertising has sought to show a picture that is closer to average beer consumers than sculptural women. The change has made it possible to increase consumption by 10 percent in one year, according to specialized reports.
Backus' announcement has been well received by many women and feminist organizations in Peru. They had often complained about beer commercials showing women as mere decoration elements.
"We hope Backus’ example will be followed by other companies. Although they might not go as far as self-regulation, they could use other advertising elements. We will continue monitoring advertising materials and awarding toads", Jurado concluded.
Uruguay: Common law marriageBy Cristina Canoura
The new law came into force in early 2008 and establishes the rights and duties of two persons who are living together, but are not officially married, regardless of sex and sexual identity or orientation.
In Argentina, Buenos Aires has a law that was passed in December 2006 to provide protection to couples of same or different sex who are not married, and Río Negro and Carlos Paz adopted a similar legislation in 2005 and 2007, respectively.
In Brazil, Río Grande do Sul is the only state providing legal protection to homosexual and heterosexual couples in cohabitation.
In Mexico, the state of Cohauila passed a Civil Solidarity Agreement in January 2007, and the Legislative Assembly in the capital favored the idea of protecting consensual unions.
In Uruguay, the marriage rate moved from 10 percent in 1987 to five percent in 2004, while the so-called free unions grew from 10 to 30 percent. While 22.2 percent of the people aged 20 to 24 who were living in couple in 1991 were not officially married, the figure rose to 64 percent in 2004.
"I can die at any time. My partner will not be left in the street", Nelson told WNS. He is a 50-year-old professional who has been living with his partner Oscar for 10 years. They asked not to be further identified.
Juan Carlos and Mercedes have been living under the same roof for 15 years. They have never married. Cohabitation has provided them with an alternative, but they were aware of the lack of legal protection in case one of them died.
The new 27-article law was sponsored by Senator Margarita Percovich, representative of the Wide Front (ruling party).
Common law marriage is characterized under the new law as the uninterrupted cohabitation for five years minimum.
If one dies, the other shall have the same succession rights as any married couple. The Civil Code also guarantees widow’s pensions and access to property.
Couples should be registered with a state registry to seek protection under the law.
The bill had been under review by parliament throughout 2007, and President Tabaré Vázquez finally signed it into law on December 27.
When the 1st General Assembly of the Uruguayan Episcopal Conference was closed in April 2007, the Catholic priests issued a declaration indicating that they had certain misgivings about the bill.
"Common law marriage will negatively affect both marriage and family", they emphasized.
"Recognized by the Constitution, the family as an institution needs to be cared for and encouraged by society at large", they stressed.
The bill was finally passed with 17 votes for and five against. Gay and lesbian organizations have supported the law. Some of them, however, still defend and demand civil marriage authorization.
Chile: Working women’s fatigue and social inequalitiesBy Ángela Castellanos
Published last December, the study was jointly prepared by Women’s Community, a civil-society organization; Data Voice, a public-opinion agency; and the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The survey involved 700 women and 355 men currently working as employees or self-employed, living in Santiago, where half of the country’s population resides. The instrument is 95-percent reliable.
The initiative sought to collect accurate information on the current employment situation and workers’ perceptions. We focused on gender relations, Verónica Flores told WNS. She is a representative of Women's Community.
"The survey findings will facilitate women’s effective participation in the labor market and promote integration between work and individual/family life", she added.
The study showed that one every three women feels that she can not spend all the time she would like to with her family. This is particularly the case of poor women.
María Elena Valenzuela, a regional gender specialist at ILO, stressed that low-income women take long shifts, work on weekends and holidays, have to cover long distances from home to work, and do all house chores.
"It is very tiring, Isabel Palma told WNS. She is the head of a household and has a daughter. I work as a part-time schoolteacher. I begin at 9.00 a.m. and finish at 10.00 p.m. some weekdays", she added.
The survey revealed that around half of respondents take more than an hour to go to work and come back home, and that one every five takes more than two hours.
"The local labor force is exhausted and will not withstand the current situation much longer", Valenzuela emphasized.
"We have highlighted the need for social dialogue. This issue affects both women and society as a whole", she commented.
"The current system is based on a model where women look after and men provide. Such a model does not exist today. Households are no longer made up of steady man-woman couples, and wages do not cover family needs", she added.
She recommended further implementing ILO Agreement No. 156, which was ratified by Chile in 1985. It deals with workers who are responsible for their families and urges governments to formulate public policies in line with actual needs.
Most house chores are conducted by women, except taking children to school or the day-care center, the survey showed.
When respondents were asked who did the laundry at home, 24.5 percent of men said “both” and only 4.5 percent of women came up with such an answer.
Cultural barriers make them have different perceptions, said Esperanza Cueto, director of Women’s Community.
Flores announced that the organization is preparing a far-reaching project on the impact of cultural factors on women’s labor market.
The survey also revealed that women are facing inequalities at workplaces. While 80 percent of men are on contract, only 64 percent of women really are. And while 72 percent of men contribute to pension funds, merely 55 percent of women do so.
Women working as domestics have no work contracts. If they are not included in the overall number of wage earners, the man-woman difference is no longer significant. The same applies to pension fund contributions.
Labor opportunities clearly show gender inequalities. While the number of men who have had promotions in the last three years stands for 20 percent, the number of women merely reaches eight percent. And while 33 percent of the former have had some wage raise in the period, only 25 percent of the latter have had it.
Women find it more difficult than men to join the labor market because women do most house chores and look after children and older people.
"Women’s Community favors the idea of breaking away with the poverty cycle. If poor women's participation in the labor market grows by four percent, the number of poor people will drop by 10 percent", Flores concluded.
Costa Rica: Carmen Lyra’s indomitable spiritBy Evelyn Vargas Carmona
Historian Iván Molina said that this versatile woman, born on January 15, 1888, had been marginalized for three reasons: first, for being an illegitimate child; second, for being a woman; and third, for becoming a radical intellectual.
She was always deeply concerned about underprivileged population groups. At 19, she integrated the San Juan de Dios Hospital as a religious novice, but was not accepted by the Sisters of Charity because she was not a legitimate child. Such an event further deepened her social sensibility.
After this mystical chapter of her life was over, she radically changed. As she could not become a nun, she cultivated her intellect through reading. This way she knew of various political trends, including anarchism, reformism and communism.
Education was the only profession women could take at the time. She graduated in 1904, began working at the College for Young Ladies and soon became one of the most innovative educators in the country, especially in pre-school education.
She learnt English and French. She left for Europe in 1920 thanks to a government-granted scholarship. The idea was to expand her knowledge of new educational trends, mostly those related to the operation of day-care centers. She focused on different theories, mainly María Montessori’s, while she was in France.
Upon her return to Costa Rica, she established the Children’s Literature Chair at the former Teachers’ Training College and founded the Montessorian School. It was there that she did a remarkable educational and social work, as she managed to have both poor and rich children studying under the same roof.
Her residence was located in one of the most elegant districts of the city (Barrio Amón), where the local bourgeoisie used to live. Paradoxically, her house library became a meeting point for people whose ideas ran counter to those of her neighbors.
She was never willing to make concessions. She was always faithful to her convictions and defended them passionately, with her ironical, sarcastic speech and her courageous, transgressing action, as Molina put it.
Always consistent with her radical ideas, she joined the Communist Party and was appointed head of its information department. She became so actively involved that some officials of the United States intelligence services thought she had been the actual founder of the organization.
She devoted the last few years of her life to political activism. She lost her job as a reporter and was sent into exile in 1948. She went to Mexico and died a year later.
Writer Alfonso Chase indicated that Lyra had structured and given shape to a national language rich in details, sometimes schematic, but with a great sense of literary beauty and psychological simplicity. Her work Aunt Panchita's stories is considered a classic in local literature, he emphasized.
Molina stressed that Lyra had been a self-supporting woman: she was single, free and radical. This noted writer, educator and political activist stood out for her talent, creativity, dynamism and fidelity to social causes.
Chase summarized her life as follows: "Lyra was a voluminous author who reflected the social and political contradictions of her time. She was not an inert literary figure. She was one of the brightest and most courageous women that Costa Rica has ever produced", he concluded.
Dominican Republic: Justice put to the testBy Mirta Rodríguez Calderón
They were condemned to 20 and 30 years in prison, respectively. Last December, President Leonel Fernández accepted a claim by the women movement and pardoned Brito. Deidania has been released because she has a small baby to nurse. She has been staying at home in Azua, with her five children.
Last week, a television report indicated that she was considered fugitive. She appeared in court, accompanied by outstanding journalist Nuria Piera. She is now in prison.
Told this way, the story would hide a string of outrageous acts committed by Castro against these women. The local authorities paid no attention to them in San Cristóbal, 80 kilometers east of the capital, where Brito had filed 117 complaints in an 18-year period.
What kind of individual was José Castro? In 2004, Brito wrote a letter to Dominican mothers indicating:
“I have had to endure terrible experiences in my life. As mothers, you will understand me. The most difficult experiences occurred when Joselito (José Castro) kicked our 10-year-old daughter Yuleisy and broke all her teeth, when he locked up Ariel and José blindfolded in an iron cage together with the dogs, and when he broke José Manuel’s arms. I have no words to express my anguish when he shot our older sons. Fortunately enough, the bullets only lightly touched Ariel’s head in passing.
I filed many complaints, sought support and contacted influential people, but I felt I was alone. I will never regret, however, having come back once and again to be with my children after having run away from beatings, humiliations and all kinds of abuse.
I always thought I could not save myself and put my children out of my mind. I preferred to die next to them. Despite all this, I never tried to kill Mr. Castro.
Not even now that I am condemned for no reason, I want to imagine my children living with people who knew what was happening at home, but decided to turn their backs on our tragedy.”
This is not all. Castro threw his own wife down from a first floor, often beat her, humiliated her to the point of satiation and tried to rape Deidania, the domestic. She always sympathized with Miriam. Although no convincing evidence has been produced, she is thought to have killed Castro.
While the local authorities furiously threw themselves against them, the women movement supported them and even appealed to the President. It is now mobilizing to free Deidania and get her pardoned.
Behind the odyssey of these women, there are Castro’s family interests. They have tried to deprive Brito and her children of the property acquired during married life.
Deidania (32) obediently accepted her sentence. A local newspaper quoted her as saying that she was willing to take the time in prison to study. She had worked as a domestic all her life, but she has now decided to do something else on her own.
Invisible sufferingThe media have shown opposing views about the case. Some people believe that these women would deserve a trophy rather than a sanction for having killed the abuser, who really had many enemies. Some others feel that Deidania should serve the relevant sentence if she is finally found guilty.
Grisbel Medina, a reporter working for Listin Diario, the oldest newspaper in the country, has dotted her i’s and crossed her t’s. José Castro, the sand dealer, hurt Miriam Brito’s skin, soul and children for 20 years, but he was a human being, an “honorable” man who always tried to meet his family needs, according to his brothers.
Castro came from a poor family and managed to raise a fortune he used to gratify journalists, pay off attorneys and make contributions to the ruling party. This man got around 117 actions against him!
"I was surprised to read that Castro had been murdered because ´he allegedly´ abused his wife. Nobody has the right to kill another human being. There is evidence in excess, however, showing that "the human being" tied up one of his children to the dog, threw a son down from a second floor, often beat his children recklessly, pulled out a daughter’s teeth, and hit a son with a shovel and buried him alive, not to mention Miriam’s tortures and rapes. Justice ignored all this".
The President has pardoned a woman who killed her husband, said another “human being”. To him, Miriam does not count. She often ran away from torment, but Castro’s power would always reach her. The country learnt of Brito only after the sand dealer was killed.
Women sufferings are invisible to most people. As the roles changed in Miriam’s case, part of the country is kicking. Castro’s defenders would have preferred to count another dead woman.
This situation should be resolved in a satisfactory manner to do justice to justice.
The Confederation of Rural Women (CONAMUCA), which supported all the actions seeking to get Miriam pardoned, has issued a declaration recognizing the Dominican President and the social forces that backed up her cause.
The organization has announced that it will support Deidania González and strongly believes that her pardon will help put a halt to violence in the country.
The document reads: Miriam Brito is alive, but she is still suffering from physical and psychological sequels. She can stay with her children and put her family on the right road, with the help of other people.
But CONAMUCA members and ordinary citizens wonder: how many people have actually been killed due to the State stance toward similar events?
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Women's News Service from Latin America and the Caribbean, International News Agency, offers this weekly service. No reproduction without authorization. Any comment o suggestion please contact us: semlac@redsemlac.net |
Lima, January.– There has been some good news in
connection with sexist advertising in 2008. Backus, a business group
including the most popular beers in the country, has announced the
implementation of a Self-Regulated Advertising Code.
Santiago de Chile, January.- Around 40 percent of
working women in the capital city say they are extremely tired after
their work shifts, as compared to 25 percent of men. This is one of
the findings of a survey that included variables like job quality
and individual perceptions.
