Gender Roles of Ecuadorian Women

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There were significant changes in Ecuador for women after the 1895 Liberal Revolution. These changes would evolve from 1895 to 1950, but the success of each program created to benefit women varied. These programs were different, ranging from the legalization of prostitution to prevent transmit of venereal diseases to the education of women in designated roles. Although these programs can be seen as improvements for women, they can also be portrayed as programs that have an instilled view of how women should be. The educational programs for women allowed them to become midwives or nurses, but they are still viewed as caregivers and legalizing prostitution made women subservient to men. The programs would not place women at the same level, as men because these opportunities women received did not let them compete against men. However, this was a start of the modernization of Ecuador and how different aspects needed to develop more until there is complete equality.
With the increase in the spread of venereal diseases, Ecuador saw intimate activities as a danger to the state and society. Therefore, state programs were initiated to control this disease problem by regulating prostitution in 1911. The purpose of making prostitution legal and regulated meant that it would benefit the health of Ecuadorians, and in 1922, anti-venereal services were opened to the general public. With this program, all prostitutes had to be fingerprinted and registered with a photo ID. For those prostitutes who were registered, they received free medical services and medication. Not only did these women have medical services they also had weekly exams, which they had to present to their clients upon request. However, the reason why mestizo wom...

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...rible extreme: masculine haircut, sunglasses and gym shoes.” This is the exact opposite of the flapper and women liberation in America. Women cut their hair short, wore boyish clothes, and were unlike the traditional role of women. Regardless of their differences, both Ecuadorian and American women advocated for the improvement of their lives.
Throughout 1895 to 1950, women wanted to be more publicly involved in society and this was aided because of the Liberation Movement. This support for women can be seen around the world, especially in the United States as well. Although these programs would not make women equal to men, these programs gave still gave women more choices.

Works Cited

A. Kim Clark, Gender, State, and Medicine in Highland Ecuador: Modernizing Women, Modernizing the State, 1895-1950 (Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2012), 78.

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