Woman in Chile

Chile is moving into the final month of its presidential campaign, and it appears that Concertacion front runner Michelle Bachelet has a very good shot at winning the election.

I am particularly excited to be in a country when they elect their first woman, especially in a country that is still very conservative when it comes to social roles and norms. Of course, the opinions of whether or not she will be a good leader vary depending who you talk to, but she seems to have widespread support.

Politics aren’t the only arena where woman are making gains toward more responsibility and respect. An article that appeared in the Christian Science Monitor took a look at the progress that woman are making in Chile’s military.

In one of Latin America's most conservative countries, women are making significant inroads into its most male-dominated institution. The increasing role of women in all levels of Chile's military is part of a larger societal shift over the past year that includes laws legalizing divorce for the first time, outlawing sexual harassment, and making domestic abuse a crime.

The transformation of the military is championed by Michelle Bachelet, who was the country's first female defense minister, and is now the front-runner in next month's presidential elections. Chile's military reforms are considered by many to be a model in Latin America.

Apparently Chile has a higher ratio of woman than in the U.S., something that took me by surprise. Women even participated for the first time in an international U.N. mission to Haiti. Another mark of change here in Chile…

CB