Wealth Gap in Argentina

Argentina carries an attitude similar to that of Frances' manifesto "liberty, equality, and fraternity."  They want to avoid the individualistic societies that countries like the United States, Brazil, Chile, and Peru, share around them.  This has changed, though, over the past decade because of the rising wealth gap between the rich and poor.  In the mid 1990's, the richest 10 percent of Argentina's population had an income 18 times that of the poorest 10 percent of the population.  When the crisis peaked in 2002, the richest income was 43 times the income of the poorest.  This is the worst economic crisis in modern history.  The crisis has improved, but the wealth gap is still so spread.  The poverty issue has improved, but the wealth gap between rich and poor is spreading.  The economy in Argentina is growing faster than any other country in South America, and is growing 8 percent per year.  This growth is tremendous, and the poverty rate is going down, but the wealth gap is still in a detrimental state.

Argentine Women Demanding Gender Equality

In Argentina, there is an outcry by women demanding gender equality.  Argentinas highly religious and sexist society makes it hard for women to gain any right or be given much freedom.  These women who fight are fighting for women's rights have triple roles as working women, mothers, and activists.  The main issues are that of abortion, sexual orientation (or lesbianism), sexuality, and violence against women.  Like discussed in an earlier post, abortion in Argentina is illegal, except for cases or rape or endangerment of the mother.  Yet even in the cases or rape, women are given very little option.  If they do proceed with the abortion then they are alienated by the religious and conservative groups.  One example of the little options rape victims are given and the alienation they face is seen in the case of 19 year old Romina Tejerina.  She was raped by a neighbor that was only sentenced to jail for three days for the rape.  She tried to get an abortion, but was not given the option of a legal abortion.  After giving birth to her chid in a bathroom, she killed her baby.  She was sentenced to 14 years in prison for murder.  She is now a focus of many women's organizations for the fight to legalize abortion.  Another focus in the fight for women's right is for lesbians to be noticed by society.  In the Argentine society, lesbians are invisible and hidden from society.  Their only chance to meet other lesbians and to organize is at the national women's congresses.  The issue of sexuality has also been a focus of women in the fight for gender equality.  Since women's sexuality is seen as taboo, they are trying to incorporate sex education into society.  It is important for women to show that they are sexual beings, and the fight for sex education and legalizing abortion are part of that.  The last issue is that of violence against women.  For the most part, men in Argentina are given the benefit of the doubt when is comes to violence against women.  They are given must lighter sentences than if a women is violent towards a man.  Men are basically given excuses for why they committed a crime so they are treated better than women are.  The fight for gender equality is an active part of the lives of Argentine women and the national women's congresses is the stepping stone for women to be noticed by society.