Latin America: Women in politics
With the triumph of Sebastián Piñera as the next president of Chile, upcoming elections in the Mexican Republic, parties and congresses in Venezuela, Colombia and more countries, one can clearly see the line that Latin America is taking again to respect the role women play in politics, leaving aside a new account that this is part of the future decisions of each region.
For example, in July of this year in Argentina, there was a low level in terms of positions in Congress occupied by women calling it "reached a ceiling" in terms of female presence in positions. In Mexico the elections are coming next year for president of the nation; however, with the scandals each candidate faces, the presence of a possible female candidate to represent the country was dismissed. Especially, the candidacy of the wife of the former president Felipe Calderón Hinojosa.
According to data from the United Nations (UN), the proportion of women and men in a parliament has increased very slowly since 1995, when the percentage was 11.3%. Currently, only of 23.3% of the positions are run by women, which indicates the slowness in female inclusion process.
In January of this year only 18.3% of the ministerial positions were occupied by women. Nevertheless, they were not positions in which all possible responsibility was assumed, these were Environment, Natural Resources, Energy, among others more of a purely social, educational and family.
In Latin America, only two countries can boast that the highest positions are occupied by a woman. In July of this year only 2 countries had 50% or more women in a Parliament, these are Rwanda with 61.3% and Bolivia with 53.1% either in the single or lower chamber.
On a global scale according to the UN, in June of this year, there were 32 States in which women represent less than 10% of the total parliament. The percentages were as follows in accordance to world regions: Nordic countries with 41.7%; Americas 28.1%; Europe 26.5%; Sub-Saharan Africa 23.6%; Arab countries 19.4%; and the Pacific region with 17.4%.
This reveals the tremendous gap that still exists in the 21st century in which thousands of women being able to occupy power positions are not doing it. Therefore, it is important to highlight that chauvinism remains rooted in the different parliaments, cameras, and parties of the leading countries in Latin America and around the world. It is time that women's participation in positions of importance and global relevance is included even more. It is time to shake off that thought that encourages the exclusion of the objectivity with which the female gender also counts. One question: is it that politics and governmental problems are unnecessary for the intelligent and capable thinking of women?
LatinAmerican Post | Cristina Torres
Copy edited by Marcela Peñaloza
