Break the social norm!!

Article: Rugby team proud to break cultural norms
Author:Alba Jaramillo.
Source:  El Universal. Mexico City: Nov 9, 2005. pg. n/a

"No le queda bien a una mujer." It means it does not look good in a women. In the land of god and man, namely Latin America, women are always considered as docile, suffering and self-scarfice. According to he belief of Catholic church, the more suffering women take, the better women they are. As Silvana Paternostro discovered, women in Latin America generally only have two choices beeing glamorous model or dedicated mother, under this social norms. In the other articles in this blog, you can also find that women are still suffered from traditional social norms and discrimination . Fortunately, a group of women are brave to break the social norms. They became rugby players, something totally against the cultural norms.

Being rugby players is nothing about suffering, in contrast, they are going to demonstrate their strength, bravity and powers in the public. They are not longer the subject of men. They are eager to form their own friendship out of their family. They are as independent and outgoing as men. Differ to the women in the PInochet Chle, they are not loger service and obey to the social norms, but challange the traditional values and beliefs. They are even play against man and prove that rugby is not only a game of man. They are learning a valuable lesson for being independet, and giveing a important message to the machimo: women can perform as well as men, even in the sport, like rugby.

It may be a small step of those players but a huge step of Mexiccan women. It reflects a new age of women right in Mexico. Women are now able to organize their own organizations and compete with men. They may face many difficuties, and discrimination, as mentioned in Silvana Paternostro book and the other articles in this blog. Nonethels, this case shows that now Mexican women are brave to make their own decision and choices, even it may against the social and culture norms. Women are still suffering, but at least some of them, like Silvana Paternostro do not longer believe in the silent power but challage the traditional belief. In my opinion, it is the only way to end the history of Mexico as the land of god and men. Inequality between gender cannot be solved by one day in Mexico, and other Latin America. However, the gradual change of women altitute will finally lead to the change of social norms. This is my conclusion on Silvana Paternostro and this blog.

Sexual Harrassment

Article: Metrobus riders face sexual harassment in Mexico; [Source: El Universal]
Author(s): Angelica Simon

Article: Law & Order - Survey shows only 10% of crimes reported
Publication: LatinNews - Mexico & Nafta Report
Provider: Latin American Newsletters
Date: November 8, 2005

As the name of the article implies, sexual harrassment became increasing common in the Metrobus riders in the Mexcio metrobus. For instance, Gloria, a women who always travels by metrobus in peak time, have been sexually harrassed by several time. Crime against women became an well-known problem. As another article suggest more than half of the women felt unconfrontable due to the increasing crime and violence. It also lets us to havea a glimpse on the challanges faced by women in Mexico.

First of all, as Silovana Paternostro suggests, in the land of man, women is easily began the target of harraseement. In Mexico, as other part of Latin America, men are eager to present their sexual desire. They believe it is one of the ways to show their masuality. They are pround to share their sexual experience and find prostitutes. Not surprisingly, in some of the Mexican eyes, harrasing women in metrobus is just another way of satisfying their sexual desire. Similar to the cases in the books of Silvana Paternostro, and the common of femidide in Mexico, increasing sexual harrassment are products of the machismo in Latin America.

In the meantime, the article also points out an important problem faced by Mexican women: the lack of enforcement of law. According to Mexican laws, the offender groping in Metrobus will be jailed. However, as mentioned in Silvana Paternostro, is the corrupted police and man dominated judiciary system is either not sympathy or care about secual harrassement. They beliveed that women have the responsibility for harrassment. In some extent, it is fair t argue that the irresponsibility of the police and judiciary system indirectly encouage sexuial harrassment in Mexico.

Even more worse, very few women reported the harrsement to the police, partly due to their nototious reputation of corruption and inefficiency, partyly due to the tradition of passive acceptance, as Silvana Paternistra pointed out. Suffering from the double exploitation of church and man, women in Mexico don't reaproach question or seldomly complained their sufferings. They believe in silent power. Unfortunately, it only lead to the uncontroable rise of violence and crime against women.

Fortunately,women consicousness is increasing. The voice of non-government organization and the decisiveness of women vote in the coming elections grasph the attention of politicans and businessmen. More and mroe report in newspaper is about the crime against women, which is difficult to imagine in the past. In this case, the metrobus company try to provide seperate bus to women and children in rush hour. It may not be a good solution but, at least, reflecting the increasing concern of women rights in Mexico. It is a step towards Silvana Paternosto's dream of gender equality.

Homophobia!!!

Article: Mexican activists demand end to homophobic hate crime
Provider: BBC Monitoring
Date: June 30, 2005 (17:41)

Due to the belief of machismo and religion, everythin but sexual diversity is not esisted in Mexico, apart of the land of mand and god, as Silvana Paternostro stressed. Although biseexuality and homosexual behaviour are not uncommon in Mexico, particulary widespread in urban area, few confess their homosexual desires. In their eyes of conservative, homosexual is not only a sin but a crime against humanity and nature. Homophobia and its accompanied crime is no uncommon in Mexico. Being a gay do not only result in discrimination and sometimes their lost of life.

An article of BBC monitoring implies the seriousness of the problem and the respond of activists. According to the article, there are 290 cases of homophobia hate murder from 1995 to 2004, and probably eight are killed each month because of their difference sexual desire. This kind of discrimintaion and violence do not only have disaterous effects on the rights of the sexual marginal groups but also have disaterous effect on the effect to prevenet the spread of AIDS. As Silvana Paternostro suggested, except few activists struggling for gay liberation movement, generally gay try all the best to avoid confessing their secual desire. They chose to marry a wife and find a transvetities if they have any sexual desire. This kind of bisexuality, as Silvana Paternostro mentioned, led to the spread of AIDS and women, who only have sex with the husband, became the high risky groups of having AIDS. Changing the altitute of public is important to prevent such trageddy of individual and nation.

Changing the altitute of public is not easy. Since the threat of AIDS in 1960s, the governemnt admitted the existing of homosexual behaviour without trying to change the altitute of public. Homophobia is still common. Be fair, the governemnt also lack the ability and resoucre to change the culture without the support of the community. As mentioned in other article, the failure of promotion of safe sex exemplify the limitation of governemnt efforts. In the case of homosexual rights, NGO plays an vital important role in raising the consciousness of public. Such activits like the case in the article, successfully grasp the attention of media. it may be only a baby step in protecting homosexual right but it is a good begining.

Free AIDS Clinic and the Social Marginal Groups

Article: AHF & AFABI to Open New, Free AIDS Clinic in Tijuana
Publication: PR Newswire
Provider: PR Newswire
Date: October 26, 2005

On the last Friday, the AHF Inmunidad Global HIV Clinic, organzed by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest AIDS organization in the US and Agencia Familiar Binacional, A.C. (AFABI), a Mexican NGO, was opened. The establishment of the clinic symbolizes an important step to prevent the spread of AIDS in the continent. In this case, both international institution and local NGO jointly fight against the spread of the epidemic. It implies increasing concern on the life of the AIDS. By providing testing services, medical care, anti-retroviral therapy to the poor, it provides a opportunity for the poor and to eradicate the threat of spread of AIDS.

The establishment of the Clinic also reflects the increasing consciousness on the spread of AIDS in the marginal groups in Mexico. In this case, the marginal group is the migrant workers. The new Clinic is located in Tijuana, a city in Baja California, where are a large proportion of workers migrant in United States each year. According to the article, at least 1% of workers -- or 20,000 people -- are HIV-positive. This raise the concern of both United State and Mexico. This eventually leads to the birth of the Clinic. Similar to the case of prostitute, women, and guy groups, as Silvana Paternostro argues, the spread of AIDS arise the social and international attention on marginal groups.

However, there is still a long road to go. Most of the international attention is focusing on Northern or Centre Mexico due to the increasing integration between United State and Mexico. The Southern Mexico, the poorest and indigenous Mexico, is generally ignored by media except the concern on Zapatista in 1994. There are free information about the spread of AIDS among the south. Clinic, like the AHF Inmunidad Global Hiv Clinic is urgently needed for the Southern district. Equally important, the root of the spread of AIDS, the culture factor, as Silvana Paternostro mentions in her book, is not the concern of this NGO and international Institution. The prevention of HIV in Mexico, as well as other developed couturiers is just beginning.

Save the Street Children

Article: Hope Is Always in Style at Sofa Mart and Furniture Row Outlet
Publication: PR Newswire
Provider: PR Newswire
Date: October 18, 2005

In some extent, street children is a common feature in every Mexican city. In Monterrey, i see street children everyday when i go to Seven-Eleven at night. This became a seruous social issue in Mexico. As Silvana Paterostro mentions in her book, the stree children is facing serious discrimination in all Latin American countires. They face hunger, violence, discrimination, threat of police and AIDS. Imporving their live and taking root the social problem not only become the concern of Mexican inteelectuals and jounralists, but also businessmen.
In 2005, the National furniture retailer Sofa Mart and Furniture Row Outlet, brands of Furniture Row Companies, try to aid the street children in Mexican City by aiding the program provided by denoating money to "Ninos de las Calle" (street children), program organized by World Vision, a Christian relief organization helping the street children in Latin America.
By denoating $ 20 for every sofa sold between September 14 to October 12 2005, the prgram are able to collect a sum of money to provide education opportunity, shelters and houses to some of the two million street children in Mexican City. It is defintely a exciting sign of increasing concern on the life of child children in Mexico
However, this article also the challange faced by the government and society in dealing with street children problem. First of all, it is clear that the denoation of the Furniture Row Companies fails to help much of the street children in Mexico. As Silvana Paterostro discovered they are only very few lucky street children had the opportunity to receive the aids from government and NGO although million and milllion of dollers from various communties have been spending to the streetchildren. Most of the two million street children will still be suffered from cold, hunger, poor hygiene, discrimination, AIDS, and brutal police. Equally important, generally speaking, these NGO groups just try to deal with symptom of the problem by providing education and shelters to street children but not deal with the reasons of street chidlren. They did not ralize the linkage, as Silvana Paterostro argued, between machismo culture and the rise of child labor. It is impossible to took root, may not even reduce the seriousness, of the street children.

Teenagers Altitute toward Sex

Article: Mexican teens confused about use of contraceptives; [Source: El Universal]
Source: Nurit Martinez. NoticiasFinancieras. Feb 10, 2005. pg. 1
Author:Nurit Martinez

Under the threat of AIDS and increasing demand of public, sex education became more and more common in Latin America. However, a recent survey by a research center of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) about teenagers' patterns and altututes of sex refelcts that the limited success of this program and sex education, more than half of the interviees had not used condom in their first encounter, and one-fifth of the female did not know how to employ birth control. It also exemplifies, as Silvana Paternostro stressed, how the tradition pratice affects teenagers' sex altitutes.

Traditionally, virgin marriage is a common belief. Although sexual intercourse became increasingly common in Mexico, nearly all of the teenagers still support virgin marriage. It reflects the traditional belief still dominates teenagers minds. Increasing numer of sexual intercouse do not really mean a sex libetation. As Silvana Paternnostro wrote, traditional belief and the church influence still haunts people mind, as sexually active teenagers believe his future partners shoudl be a virgin.

The article also implies the failure of sex education and promotion of use of condom in Mexico. To prevent the spread of AIDS, the government put much attention in order to promote the use of condom.
Unfortunatley, the survey reflects that teenagers are still confused by the use of contraceptives. It reflects the difficulties in promoting safe sex in Latin America. Abortion and unwanted pregnancy become more and more common in Mexico. Even worse, a certain percentage of the teenagers does not realize the danger of AIDS. 6.5 percent of them believed them AIDS can be easily cured. This altitute is dangerous for the efforts to prevent the spread of AIDS in Mexico.

In the meantime, the article shows some positive development: more than half of both male and femail accepts masturbation. In the eyes of Mexican youth, masturbation is not longer a sin as silvana Paternostro experienced in Columiba. It is a positive indicator of the women rights in Mexico although it is still too early to declare the Mexican women gains more rights on their own body.

Church in Post PRI Mexico

Article: Mexican papal candidate has dealt with adamantly secular state
Source: Agencia EFE
Date: April 7, 2005

In the political realm, Mexico under the PRI rule was an exceptional case in Latin America. It did not have any military coup and revolution since the brith of PNR, the old name of PRI party in 1929. In religion realm, Mexico under PRI is also very unique in Latin America. Although 80% of the Mexican is Catholic, the second biggest catholic group in the world, Mexico did not established diplomatic relationship with Vatican until 1993. Even more, all PRI president tried to keep distance from the Catholic church. The influence of church in PRI Mexico is much less influential than those in other Latin American countries, especially Argentina and Chile.
However, as the article stated, the situation have changed in recent years. In 1993, the controversial president Carlos Salinas not only established realtionship with the Vatican, but also eased the restriction on church in Mexico. When I visited Queretaro in my independet holiday, my Mexican friend had told me several time about the situation after the ease of restriction. The church now can again comment on the state issue and policy openly and reagained great social and political infulence. Even worse, President Fox, as the artucle mentiones, a commited Catholic and the first non-PRI president in Mexico history, joined religious partice in publi, which is unbelievable in the age of PRI hegemopny. Not surprisinly, the church gained more and more influence and particiapte in public life.
Someone may ask that what is the problem of increasing church political and social influence. They may exempllify the contribution of church intervention by stating the vital role of church in promoting democracy in Eastern Europe and overthrow military governemnt in Latin America. indeed, it is correct. However, the increasing power of church in politics jeopardize the development of women rights in Latin America due to its conservaive position of the church on abortion and birth control.
The word of Cardinal Norberto Rivera, archbishop of Mexico City and the country's Catholic primate, clearly reflects the conservative postition of the Catholic church on sensitive gender issue, in particular, abortiona nd birth control. He dreamed to revive Christianity in Latin America without changing the conservative position of church. This conservative altitute harmed the women liberation in Mexico. As silvana Paternostro stressed, women in Latin Ameica are living in "the land of god and man." The church, so called the messenger of the god, supplements men to exploit the women. In the eyes of conservative
, like Cardinal Noberto Rivera, who uses condom is a minor evil, abortion is a sin instead of the result of lack of birth control. This altitute become a obstacle of the legislation of abortion and birth control in Mexiico. Prelates even stress "voting for parties which support abortion and euthanasia" would be a sin, as would casting ballots for those prepared to recognize same-sex union." Natrally, no political parties has the real interest to suggest decriminalization of abortion, which could defintely angered the conservative church and may alienate potential Catholic voters in nowsaday competitve elction in Mexico. The PAN, one of the strongest political parties in Mexico, even chose to alien with the right wing religious groups, which i have mentioned in last article in the blog. For women, it means that they still have to be suffered from the dangerous illegal abortion, as silvana Paternostro suggest the word of belief of Catholic and the word of the bishop never be a vital consideration in the mind of a pregnant women, and the lack of biirth control. In the post PRI Mexico, the situation of women have not improved, if not become worse because of the allaince between PAN and the conservative church.