Monday, March 24, 2008

Machismo in Argentina: International Woman’s Day

People say “in ancient Greece, Lisistrata began a sexual strike against men in an attempt to end the war.” This way, she demonstrated the power women are able to acquire in a society.

During the Socialist International Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1910, the proposal to celebrate the International Working Woman’s Day was approved unanimously. From then on, different countries started to celebrate that day.

From that moment, the gap between men and women has begun to decrease little by little. According to the investigation about the place that women occupy today in Argentinean society, conducted by MindShare to 300 individuals in Argentina, “more than half of the people interviewed said that machismo is not as dominant as before, since people have been able to free themselves from ‘old prejudices.’”

However, the study also found that “37% of people interviewed said machismo in Argentina continues to be a reality.”

“On top of that, 27% of the 300 people interviewed by MindShare stated that men and women have equal labor rights. But 64% considered that in this field, ‘differences still exist’.”

MindShare also conducted a more detailed study about “how women perform in positions of power.” In this analysis, “52% thought that women are stricter than men, and almost an identical percentage said that both genders are able to perform their tasks with equal efficiency.”

“Regarding decision making, almost half of people interviewed (43%) considered that men show more security (firmness) and speed.” While, “40% considered that women are more competitive than men, and 33% attributed this trait equally to men and women.”

This study shows promising results, since it demonstrates that society’s perception towards women at work has been positively affected, even though women and men still have to be treated equally at work.

Enjoy and celebrate International Woman’s Day!

No comments: