Teólogas

Out in the country, many people don´t have a lot of social interaction, most people´s days consist of working fields, taking care of livestock, and chopping up firewood. They relate most often to their extended families. Meeting with groups far out in the country with who share distant family connections, the discomfort is thick in the air. Communities with strong, involved leaders get projects done and community development (or the development of community) soon follows after.

These individuals are often also involved in religious leadership. If they are, it’s a sign of commitment to the community since being a pastor here is rarely a way to put bread on the table. They are also providing a time and place for regular social interaction, giving them more opportunity to lead. Taking all of this into account, religious organizations and their leaders understandably have a lot of power.

Por ejemplo, a Peace Corps volunteer in the area was doing an efficient stoves project (they burn less wood to cook your beans and tortillas) and one of the women she was working with was having a problem getting hers installed. Why? Her husband was annoyed by the womens group´s efforts of empowerment so he wouldn´t give his permission to build it. Another Peace Corps volunteer suggested that she involve my host dad, this man´s pastor, because anything the pastor says is to be taken seriously.

All this to say that alongside the unfortunately strong machismo society in Latin America, there are encouraging signs of women´s empowerment. CASM has organized several women´s groups in the area and many community leaders and local development NGO workers have very progressive understandings of gender roles. And last night, my host dad graduated from the Latinamericana University of Theology in a class with 8 men and 28 women. Implications? Profound.