The Land of God & Man & Absurdity

"30-45% of all pregnancies in Brazil are terminated. 20-30% of all Brazilian women have had abortions. According to the World Health Organizzation, the figure is about three million abortions each year in Brazil alone. As BEMFAM has calculated, that comes out to 250,000 a month, 8,333 each day, 347 each hour, or almost 6 self-induced or dangerous abortions per minute (103)."

After reading Enrique's Journey I didn't think I was able to be "shocked" anymore but I was wrong. After reading The Land of God and Man, A Latina Woman's Journey, I was completely stunned. The above statistics reflects a society, country, nation who permits the subjugation of women. A woman has no rights at all concerning their bodies and are forced to endure harmful and fatal practices. It is a never-ending cycle that permeates all classes (more so for the working poor). I'm not sure which is more upsetting, the fact in this patriarchal society the government and religion (church) deny women rights or its own citizens are brainwashed into the dominant beliefs and perpetuate the cycle (as in the case with the nurse openly admitting she treated patients who suffered and came to the hospital from self induced abortions poorly by perform painful procedures without pain medication and/or leaving them untreated for days intentionally). And naturally social class plays a role in every facet...only certain class of women are able to obtain the drug Cytotec to perform at home abortions. Many women who are not financially capable of purchasing this drug use other alternative methods such as tree limbs, etc. to remove the fetus from the uterus. This really saddened me, I could not fathom the intense physical pain these women suffered to do something like this out of fear of having children. Psychologically speaking, these women must have felt there was no other option available to them and this is what they must do at whatever personal, physical and further mental effects.

How can a man rape a woman or young girl and in order to avoid criminal charges (or any recourse) can marry her? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I can't imagine being raped and then having to marry my rapist and/or give birth to a child as a result of that rape or repeated rapes, "A rape victime in Peru was told by the judge that, as seh was not a virgin at the time, it did not mater that she was raped. Her rapist would be relieved of prison if he offered to marry her. And as in thirteen other countries - Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Paraguay - a rapist may go go free if he marries his victim with her consent. In Costa Rica, a rapist may go free even if he marries the raped woman without her consent (18)."

I really don't want to make this a long post because this book covers a wide array of themes such as sexuality, AIDS, homosexuality, transvestites, glass ceiling, prostitution, incest, sexually transmitted diseases and illegitmate children. This book is a really great book written from Ms. Paternostro's own personal experiences along with one-on-one interviews (first hand accounts). It really opens up the taboo world in which women are still considered "property." This book was published in 1998 and I'm wondering ten years later, how much (if any) has changed.

http://reproductiverights.org/en/document/trends-in-reproductive-rights-jurisprudence-in-latin-america

In the Land of God and Man

The story of In the Land of God and Man opened my eyes and heart to a poignant injustice that I had never really been aware of. Silvana Paternostro did an amazing job portraying the life of the average Latin American woman and the burdens she must inevitably face because of the constraints of a patriarchal society. Paternostro’s story made for an even more compelling story in that she shed some truth and light into her own personal existence and experiences. She is a rare individual. I, for one, know that it is not easy for women who are deeply rooted in their culture to separate themselves from the countless expectations that are ingrained in their minds since they were little girls. I have had my series of battles growing up as an Arab-American woman. I, too, come from a family, who to a certain degree, hold strong the belief that a woman’s place is in the domestic sphere – to cook, clean and raise their children. However, the mentality of men and the unfortunate epidemic of unwanted pregnancies, dangerous abortions, men having sex with men, and most importantly, the high-risk factor that women have of contracting AIDS is not an issue that people in my family encounter as seriously and violently. I admire the courage and strength that Paternostro had that inspired her to gravitate towards a new independent beginning to her life. She not only showed a tremendous amount of dedication in her work, but also a strong passion to raise awareness and advocacy to break the perpetual cycle of what really is happening to the women of South American cultures.

In the Land of God and Man

I found the actions of Silvana Paternostro, the main character in the book, to be very bold and brave. Silvana had the audacity to leave her home county, Columbia, to go to the United States and study. She left behind a culture in which patriarchy is the way of life. In Columbia, she was taught, like all females from her country, that in order to be "successful respectable woman must marry a rich man, have lots of children and be able to take care of the domestic needs of her family. She could not run her own business, without her husband’s consent, get involved in politics or have a voice. By her moving to the United States, Silvana was able to realize that there is another world out there where these double standards do not exist. She was able to apply her new way of thinking to presenting the effects of that these double standards have on Columbian society.

I feel like all women that are were once in the same position as people she interviewied and are wanting to seek help should get the right kind of treatment. This website http://www.womenshealth.gov/violence/ provides resources to help women do that.