In the Land of God and Man: Chapters 1 and 2

In Silvana Paternostro’s book, In the Land of God and Man, she discusses some of the key issues that many Latin American women face.

She eases the reader into the controversial subjects of sex, equal rights and abortion by introducing the reader to her adolescence in Barranquilla, Colombia. She tells of how she moved from Colombia to New York to become a journalist, all the while denouncing the life she might have had in Colombia as a sub servant wife and/or mother had she decided not to leave her country.

She has very biased views regarding the role of women in Latin America and with just cause. The horrifying stories of women experiencing self-induced abortions and the taboos of sex in an overwhelming conservative society which regards politics above anything else is disgusting to say the least.

Paternostro not only blames politics for oppressing women, she also extends the blame to religion. The Catholic religion plays a major role in Latin America because 90% of the church is comprised of Latin Americans. Their conservative views towards sex and contraception, according to Paternostro, are to blame for women’s unwillingness to become aware of their own sexuality.

She begins to tie religion to the oppression of women by including a psalm at the beginning of chapter two. The psalm excerpt reinforces how men are dominant. Paternostro discusses how priests are reluctant to accept the use of condoms as a practical means of avoiding unwanted pregnancies and to prevent the further proliferation of sexually transmitted diseases.

Paternostro notes how women have come a long way in politics, but still have a long way to go. She acknowledges that her criticisms might fall on deaf ears because there have been women presidents and women in high-ranking positions within the government. She notes, however, that the positions women have in government, have either been given away by men or they are placed in positions that are not decision-making positions within the government.

Paternostro notes that in order for women to truly ascend to a political level worth merit, women must earn positions in which they make the decisions that affect society on a larger scale. Not just earning a position as Minister of Tourism.

But not all blame can rest on men and the machismo in which they dominate politics. Some of the blame ultimately rests on the women who are either refuse to be informed or have bought into the ideals that their husbands and fathers have taught them through the years of being second-class to men.

Even some of the women who vie for positions like vice president, president, or high-ranking minister, still do not support the feminist movement and the ideals it entails. They still support the machismo politics that don’t give women an equal voice.

It is perhaps the reinforcement of these beliefs from childhood into adulthood that prevents some women from realizing they are contributing to their own struggle. Beliefs are hard to change or abandon when they become a natural part of one’s life, so it is understandable to see why women would side with the church regarding condoms. Its conceivable to see why some women would prefer a life of staying at home and tending after the kids and the husband. What is not understandable, however, is for the women who wish to break free of that mold, to still be expected to fulfill their household roles and still struggle to be equal to a man in society.