Costa Rica Closes
Gender Gap; Today Is International Women's
Day
On March 8th every year, it is a major day
of global celebration of women. In different
regions the focus of the celebrations ranges
from general celebration of respect,
appreciation and love towards women to a
celebration for women's economic, political
and social achievements.
In Costa Rica, the 2010 International
Women's Day is marked by the recent election
of the first woman president, Laura
Chinchilla, last month and with 40% of the
future legislative seats taken by women. In
addition, president-elect Chinchilla assures
that at least half of her cabinet will be
made up of women.
In Costa Rica women obtained their right to
vote in 1953 and since have taken an
important cultural, professional and
political role in the country.
The role of women has greatly been seen in
business as Costa Rica moved from a
agricultural producer, which was mainly run
by men.
Two men recognized for promoting women in
business are José Figueres Ferrer and Daniel
Oduber, says the former legislator and
president of the Instituto Interamericano de
los Derechos Humanos, Sonia Picado.
Picado suggests that in 2014 women will make
up more than 50% of the legislative body.
Although strives have been made in the
equality of salaries between men and women,
today, in Costa Rica there still exists a
difference of 26% of the salaries for the
same job.
The area were the gap has been gotten
greater is in education, as the gap has
widened since 2003, while it has closed in
other fields.
The gap is explained by the aggressiveness
of men when negotiating salaries is a
primary cause, according to university
studies conducted. Also, women, according to
the study, tend not to take a job unless
their qualified, while men will without a
doubt.
With the 2010 elections, Costa Rica is now
in the top ten countries in the world with
the most women in parliaments. According to
the Unión Interparlamentaría, Costa Rica
takes 7th place in the list with 40 women
legislators, while Rowanda tops the list
with 56. Sweden is in second place with 46,
followed by South Africa with 44, Cuba with
43, Iceland with 43, Holland with 42, Costa
Rica, Finland with 40, Norway with 40 and
Mozambique with 39.
To celebrate women's day the Instituto
Nacional de las Mujeres (INAMU) - the
National Institute of Women - held a
celebration in La Sabana park on Sunday with
more than 1.000 people from across the
country attending.
The INAMU struggles to bring equal rights
for women in Costa Rica by way of education,
health and cultural activities.
The first IWD was observed on 28 February
1909 in the United States following a
declaration by the Socialist Party of
America. Among other relevant historic
events, it came to commemorate the 1911
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. The idea
of having an international women's day was
first put forward at the turn of the 20th
century amid rapid world industrialization
and economic expansion that led to protests
over working conditions.
On occasion of 2010 International Women's
Day the International Committee of the Red
Cross is drawing attention to the hardship
displaced women endure. The displacement of
populations is one of the gravest
consequences of today's armed conflicts. It
affects women in a host of ways. |
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