Womens Rights in Latin America

by Lamia Khan

   Columbia: August 13 2009, Maria Cuervo was  just walking outside when a complete stranger shouted to her “This is so you don’t think you are pretty and then proceeded to throw acid on her entire face, changing her life in an instant.

      Put yourself in Marias shoes and try to comprehend the daily challenges of women in Latin America face. In a world where cloning exists, and pictures can be uploaded onto a blog from an smartphone just like that, women’s rights have still not been intact and are nowhere near substantiation.

     Acid attacks have been starting to get very common in Columbia.  A jealous boyfriend or controlling husband can throw acid on their wives to keep them “in their place” This acid melts the skin, removing parts of the entire face like the nose and very commonly blinding as well.

     Though legislation passed a law to punish criminals for these happenings, only 3 culprits have been captured. 3 out of 996 attacks recorded. In 2010, the NGO called Human Rights Organizations also known as MADRE was created to be a site for battered women. Though that is an improvement; MADRE received many death threats for electing women into their organization, specifically Afro-descendants who are solemnly just defending their rights.

      So lets rise, lets rise for these women who cannot speak up. Lets rise for the women who every time walks out of her house will have faces staring at her, children pointing and feeling helpless her entire life.