The social role of men and women in Ecuador are largely divided among high, middle and lower class. When it comes to employment, high and middle class women make up an extensive percent of employment in banking, finance, education and research. Although women have taken on important jobs that lead to the increase of the country’s economy and research, women are paid at a lower rate than men. For example, it has been reported that a woman’s wage is around 15-17% lower than a man’s pay wage (Inter-American Development Bank, 2012.).
These gender gaps within the high and middle class can be based on two reasons: first, women in Latin America are held responsible for child bearing and nurturing a family, resulting in less time spent outside their home and less time spent on gaining adequate experience needed for a job position. Second, it is known that women face discrimination within the labor market in most Latin American countries, Ecuador included. Being born into a Hispanic family, I have witnessed firsthand the injustice many women have encountered due to their lack of time spent outside of their homes and how difficult it is to be offered a job when one has minimal to no work experience available.
Women from lower-class homes face social role opposition the most and are most likely to carry their family’s poverty burden the most. Their lack of education and years of experience, that would be required for some type of formal paying job, is a great disadvantage to them. I recently spoke with a friend of the family, *Nancy, who was born and raised in a high rural poverty village, she would mentioned how growing up in Ecuador men were expected to go out and learn about harvesting crops and working the lands while women were encouraged to stay home and take care of the children; after all strong male children grow up to be strong men who can provide for their families. Nancy also explained how in almost all Latin American countries the young women born into poverty are taught to marry young, produce strong male children and to care for their home. Reflecting on Nancy’s experience made me question if there was a connection with the social roles in Ecuador and violence against women.
Gender Based Violence (GBV), is at an all time high. According to the National Statistics and Census Institute about 60.6% of Ecuadorian women, 61.4% in urban areas and 58.7% in rural areas, have experienced some type of gender based violence (Agencia Publica de Noticias del Ecuador y Suramerica, 2013). Nancy explained the there is an underlying of gender role ideas of dependency and subordination towards women. Women are just expected to take care of their families, it’s the traditional and ideas that have been passed on from one generation to the next.
However, the media also has a negative impact of GBV because it reinforces negative and sexist images of the female gender. In a published interview with Ecuador’s Deputy Secretary of Intercultural Affairs, Ketty Erazo explains that media’s responsibility in reincorporating violent and sexist attitudes towards women within society by creating a male-centered society within day-time television and their failure in taking responsibility for their actions in allowing shows that demonstrated crimes of passion, verbal and physical assaults and insults to be brought on by their male characters towards female characters (Agencia Publica de Noticias del Ecuador y Suramerica, 2013). Based on my findings and short talks with Nancy I’ve come to the conclusion that GBV is continues to be an issue the country of Ecuador has not resolved. Women continue to face strong oppression from the social roles that Ecuador is a male-centered country.
*Nancy's name has been changed
These gender gaps within the high and middle class can be based on two reasons: first, women in Latin America are held responsible for child bearing and nurturing a family, resulting in less time spent outside their home and less time spent on gaining adequate experience needed for a job position. Second, it is known that women face discrimination within the labor market in most Latin American countries, Ecuador included. Being born into a Hispanic family, I have witnessed firsthand the injustice many women have encountered due to their lack of time spent outside of their homes and how difficult it is to be offered a job when one has minimal to no work experience available.
Women from lower-class homes face social role opposition the most and are most likely to carry their family’s poverty burden the most. Their lack of education and years of experience, that would be required for some type of formal paying job, is a great disadvantage to them. I recently spoke with a friend of the family, *Nancy, who was born and raised in a high rural poverty village, she would mentioned how growing up in Ecuador men were expected to go out and learn about harvesting crops and working the lands while women were encouraged to stay home and take care of the children; after all strong male children grow up to be strong men who can provide for their families. Nancy also explained how in almost all Latin American countries the young women born into poverty are taught to marry young, produce strong male children and to care for their home. Reflecting on Nancy’s experience made me question if there was a connection with the social roles in Ecuador and violence against women.
Gender Based Violence (GBV), is at an all time high. According to the National Statistics and Census Institute about 60.6% of Ecuadorian women, 61.4% in urban areas and 58.7% in rural areas, have experienced some type of gender based violence (Agencia Publica de Noticias del Ecuador y Suramerica, 2013). Nancy explained the there is an underlying of gender role ideas of dependency and subordination towards women. Women are just expected to take care of their families, it’s the traditional and ideas that have been passed on from one generation to the next.
However, the media also has a negative impact of GBV because it reinforces negative and sexist images of the female gender. In a published interview with Ecuador’s Deputy Secretary of Intercultural Affairs, Ketty Erazo explains that media’s responsibility in reincorporating violent and sexist attitudes towards women within society by creating a male-centered society within day-time television and their failure in taking responsibility for their actions in allowing shows that demonstrated crimes of passion, verbal and physical assaults and insults to be brought on by their male characters towards female characters (Agencia Publica de Noticias del Ecuador y Suramerica, 2013). Based on my findings and short talks with Nancy I’ve come to the conclusion that GBV is continues to be an issue the country of Ecuador has not resolved. Women continue to face strong oppression from the social roles that Ecuador is a male-centered country.
*Nancy's name has been changed