Machismo: Root of Women's Exploitation in Latin America

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“Poverty and exploitation of women in Latin America can never be alleviated because they are rooted in machismo,” meaning that because of the way society was run in Latin American, women can’t advance from the ancient state of mind that they belong in the private sphere and should stay there, because only men are good enough to be out in the public sphere. The reason why society was run in this manner, was because of the machismo feeling engraved in the minds of men and, in some cases, women in society. Alicia, Carolina, and Nancy don’t really have any other choice, than try to survive on their own by doing acts that are not “approved” by the society they live in. Even now, because of their actions, we could even disagree with the way they decided to approach their situation, because even now a day, we could think that selling one’s body or being involved in “off the book” …show more content…

According to machismo, the only ones with the “right” to be in the work field, economy, and politics should be men. They know what’s best and are led by their desires. Women should just listen and do what they’re told. Because of these reasons, I agree with the statement above, women are not going to have the opportunity to economically advance if they keep living in a society run by and for the needs of men. Throughout both books and the movie, we can see the living situation of these women and the reasons why they’re living that life. Even during the clips we watched in class, most of the women portrayed in them didn’t really have a choice but to follow what society has set for them. Example, the women working in the maquilas. They’re exploited because they don’t have any other way to gain money in order to survive. They need to accept lower wages and harsh working conditions because they don’t have any other

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