Democracy in the country but not inthe home? Religion, politics and women's rights in Chile

Third World Quarterly

Volumn 31, Issue 6, 2010, Pages 971-988

  Guzmán, Virginia ^a   Seibert, Ute ^b   Staab, Silke ^c  

^a Centre for Women's Studies   (Chile)

^b UNIVERSIDAD ACADEMIA DE HUMANISMO CRISTIANO   (Chile)

^c United Nations Research Institute for Social Development UNRISD   (Switzerland)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DEMOCRACY; EDUCATION; HUMAN RIGHTS; IDEOLOGY; POLICY IMPLEMENTATION; POLICY MAKING; POLITICS; RELIGION; SEXUALITY; SOCIAL POLICY; WOMENS STATUS;

CHILE;

ARTICLE; CHILE; CULTURAL FACTOR; ECONOMICS; EDUCATION; EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTION; ETHNOLOGY; FAMILY; HISTORY; LEGAL ASPECT; PHYSIOLOGY; POLITICS; PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT; RELIGION; SCHOOL; SEXUAL EDUCATION; SEXUALITY; SOCIAL CHANGE; WOMEN'S RIGHTS;

CHILE; CONTRACEPTION, POSTCOITAL; CULTURAL CHARACTERISTICS; FAMILY; HISTORY, 20TH CENTURY; HISTORY, 21ST CENTURY; POLITICS; RELIGION; SCHOOLS; SEX EDUCATION; SEXUALITY; SOCIAL CHANGE; WOMEN'S RIGHTS;

EID: 77956837547     PISSN: 01436597     EISSN: 13602241     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/01436597.2010.502730     Document Type: Article

References (83)

1. In 2002 70 per cent of the population identified as Catholic, 15 per cent as Evangelical. Instituto Nacional de Estadi{dotless}́sticas (INE), Censo 2002-Si{dotless}́ntesis de Resultados, Santiago: INE, 2003.
2. These included, among others, the institution of appointed senators, the electoral system and a Constitution designed and buttressed under authoritarian rule.
3. The Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia is a centre-left party coalition including the Christian Democratic (PDC), Socialist (PS) and Democratic Parties (PPD). It governed the country in four consecutive administrations until 2010, when it was defeated in the presidential elections by the Alianza por Chile, a rightist-conservative coalition, composed of the parties National Renovation (RN) and the Independent Democratic Union (UDI) whose founder, Jaime Guzmá n, was a fervent Pinochet follower and member of the Catholic-integralist group Opus Dei. The Chilean right combines a strong economic liberalism with conservative morals.
4. For example, A Dandavati, The Women's Movement and the Transition to Democracy in Chile, New York: Peter Lang, 1996
5. A Matear, Desde la protesta a la propuesta: the institutionalization of the women's movement in Chile', in E Dore (ed), Gender Politics in Latin America-Debates in Theory and Practice, New York: Monthly Review Press, 1997, pp 84-100.
6. One of the key slogans of this movement was 'democracy in the country and in the home'. See A Frohmann & T Valdés, Democracy in the country and in the home: the women's movement in Chile', in A Basu (ed), The Challenge of Local Feminisms: Womens' Movements in Global Perspective, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995, pp 276-301.
7. W Lies & MF Malone, The Chilean church: declining hegemony?', in PC Manuel, C Reardon & C Willcox (eds), The Catholic Church and the Nation State: Comparative Perspectives, Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2006, pp 89-100.
8. Corporació n Humanas, V Encuesta Nacional 'Percepciones de las mujeres sobre su situación y condiciones de vida en Chile', Santiago: Corporació n Humanas, 2008.
9. 8 The integralist current insists on a literal interpretation of Catholic doctrine, which it perceives as 'universal and non-negotiable' (p 40). The liberal Catholic view, in contrast, usually embraces the autonomy of the political realm within which decisions are made according to individual conscience.
10. See M Blofield, The Politics of Moral Sin: A Study of Abortion and Divorce in Catholic Chile since 1990, Santiago: FLACSO, 2001.
11. B Shepard & L Casas, Abortion policies and practices in Chile: ambiguities and dilemmas', Reproductive Health Matters, 15, 2007, pp 202-210.
12. No explicit order to this effect has been found, but numerous women have testified to this.
13. Dandavati, The Women's Movement and the Transition to Democracy in Chile. This is the case of the Ci{dotless}́rculo de Estudios de la Mujer, founded by mainly middle-class women in 1979 under the aegis of the Academy. The circle was expelled from the Academy in the mid-1980s, when it publicised its positions on sexuality.
14. M Htun, Sex and the State: Abortion, Divorce and the Family in Latin American Dictatorships and Democracy, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003.
15. Blofield, The Politics of Moral Sin: Abortion and Divorce in Spain, Chile and Argentina, New York: Routledge, 2006, p 23.
16. See also MA Garretón, Balance y perspectivas de la democratizació n poli{dotless}́tica chilena', in A Menéndez & A Joignant (eds), La Caja de Pandora: El Retorno de la Transición Chilena, Santiago: Planeta/Ariel, 1999, pp 49-88.
17. Blofield, The Politics of Moral Sin: Abortion and Divorce in Spain, Chile and Argentina.
18. This is particularly evident in the Church's campaign against abortion and emergency contraception. Several official documents establish a direct link between the Church's defence of 'life' now and then.
19. See, for example, Comité Permanente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Chile, Acoger y promover la vida, Santiago: Conferencia Episcopal de Chile, 10 January 2007
20. FJ Errázuriz Ossa, El derecho a la vida: tambien hoy, Santiago: Arzobispado de Santiago, 26 March 2001.
21. Lies et al, 'The Chilean church'.
22. Blofield, The Politics of Moral Sin: Abortion and Divorce in Spain, Chile and Argentina.
23. J Escobar, Opus Dei: Génesis y expansión en el mundo, Santiago: LOM, 1992.
24. Between 1990 and 2006 the parliamentarian right introduced four bills to impose higher sentences for abortion, for example, all of which were rejected. Shepard & Casas, 'Abortion policies and practices in Chile'.
25. The progressive Catholic camp includes new expressions of feminist theology (such as the Con-spirando collective and the Catholics for the Right to Choose movement) as well as some Jesuit priests. On the Evangelical side the Christian Brotherhood of Churches (CCI) has adopted a more moderate stance.
26. L Haas, The Catholic Church in Chile: new political alliances', in C Smith & J Prokopy (eds), Latin American Religion in Motion: Tracking Innovation, Complexity and Change, New York: Routledge, 1999, pp 43-66.
27. These include the Interdisciplinary Programme on Educational Studies (PIEE), the Centre for Research and Development of Education (CIDE), and Education for a Better Quality of Life (EDUK).
28. Jesuit Tony Mifsud, an expert on moral issues, would play a key role in this respect. He joined the committee as an advisor to co-ordinator Mari{dotless}́a de la Luz Silva, helping her to frame discussions with the conservative sectors of the Catholic Church in ways that would be more acceptable to the latter.
29. Birth rates among girls aged 15-19 were high and rising throughout the 1990s, reaching 16.2 per cent of all live births in 1998. See Instituto Nacional de Estadi{dotless}́sticas, Población y Sociedad: Aspectos Demográficos, Santiago: INE, 2008. The probability of having children in this age group was almost 20 per cent among girls in the bottom income tercile and seven per cent among girls in the highest income tercile in 2002.
30. J Rodriguez, Adolescent reproduction: the case of Chile and its policy implications', Cepal Review, 86, pp 117-140.
31. Haas, The Catholic Church in Chile'.
32. Ministerio de Educació n, Poli{dotless}́tica de Educación en Sexualidad para el Mejoramiento de Calidad de Educación, Santiago: MINEDUC, 1993.
33. L Casas & C Ahumada, Teenage sexuality and rights in Chile: from denial to punishment', Reproductive Health Matters, 17(34), 2009, pp 88-98.
34. M Kleincsek, Evaluación de impacto a largo plazo de las Jornadas de Conversación sobre Afectividad y Sexualidad (JOCAS) en la comunidad educativa y las familias en las regiones IV, VII y Metropolitana, Santiago: ONG EDUK, 2004.
35. Casas & Ahumada, Teenage sexuality and rights in Chile'.
36. K Araujo, 'Sobre ruidos y nueces: debates chilenos en torno a la sexualidad', Revista Iberoamericana, 19, 2005, pp 109-126.
37. Comité Permanente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Chile, Acerca de la educación sexual, Santiago: Conferencia Episcopal, 10 September 1996.
38. Haas, The Catholic Church in Chile'.
39. 33 Servicio Evangélico para el Desarrollo, Orientaciones sobre sexualidad para los Establecimientos Educacionales de SEPADE, Declaración pública sobre Educación Sexual, Santiago: CCI/CTE/SEPADE, 1996.
40. Surveys showed that 90.5 per cent supported the idea that sexual education was necessary.
41. The topic made it to the front page of the country's largest newspaper. 'Cambios en educacion sexual',
42. El Mercurio (Santiago), 14 March 2004. The Minister of Education admitted: 'I am convinced we are behind. Sex education is an inhibited issue and the Ministry is not very active in this area'. 'Gobierno crea nuevo plan de educacion sexual para colegios', La Segunda (Santiago), 14 May 2004.
43. M Rios, Chilean feminism and social democracy: from the democratic transition to Bachelet', NACLA Report on the Americas, March-April 2007, pp 25-42.
44. These organisations include the Forum on Health and Sexual and Reproductive Rights, the Latin American and Caribbean Women's Health Network (RSMLAC) and the Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, as well as many smaller groups and collectives.
45. The Network for Life and the Family (Red por la Vida y la Familia) congregates several dozens of small organizations, such as the Fundació n Chile Unido, the NGO Investigació n, Formació n y Estudios de la Mujer (ISFEM), Muevete Chile and Centro Juvenil AGES, as well as notorious individuals, such as the lawyer and UDI-advisor Jorge Reyes. Several of them are connected with Opus Dei and the Legionaries of Christ.
46. L Casas, La saga de la anticoncepcion de emergencia en Chile: avances y desafios, Santiago: FLACSO/ UNFPA, 2007.
47. 40 The AGES law suit was led by an Opus Dei-affiliated lawyer of Universidad de los Andes.
48. Ministerio de Salud importará pi{dotless}́ldoras para venderlas en farmacias', La Nación (Santiago), 6 February 2007.
49. Conferencia Episcopal reivindica objecion de conciencia de las farmacias', El Mostrador (Santiago), 30 October 2007.
50. Pro-market voices were also raised, including from the Chambers of Commerce, criticising the government for violating economic freedom. Dorando la pi{dotless}́ldora', La Nación, 4 November 2007.
51. Cursan sumarios a farmacias que no cuentan con la pi{dotless}́ldora', La Nación, 23 September 2009.
52. Errázuriz Ossa, El derecho a la vida.
53. Ministry of Health, Normas Nacionales sobre Regulación de la Fertilidad, Santiago: Ministry of Health, 2006.
54. C Dides, Voces en emergencia: El discurso conservador y la pi{dotless}́ldora del di{dotless}́a despues, Santiago: FLACSO/UNFPA.
55. Comité Permanente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Chile, ¿Hacia dónde camina Chile?, Conferencia Episcopal, Santiago de Chile, 7 September 2006.
56. Declaración pú blica del Partido Demó crata Cristiano', La Nación, 5 September 2006.
57. The Parliamentarians for Life Front was formed in 2006 by members of UDI, PDC and RN. The grouprallies against abortion, contraception, medically assisted suicide and human cloning, and has initiated the formation of a Global Parliamentarian Front for Life, whose board includes politicians from Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Spain.
58. The Constitution itself is inherited from authoritarian rule.
59. Comité Permanente de la Conferencia Episcopal de Chile, Acoger y promover la vida.
60. Rights' are mentioned 24 times in the document.
61. Gobierno respeta dichos de obispos pero seguira entregando "pi{dotless}́ldora del di{dotless}́a despues"', La Nación, 11 January 2007.
62. V Diaz, Libertad de elegir', La Nación, 28 March 2007. Some evangelical organisations also took issue with the opinion of Catholic bishops and other conservative forces.
63. See, for example, Confraternidad Cristiana de Iglesias, Normas nacionales sobre regulacion de fertilidad, Santiago: CCI, 2008.
64. Confraternidad Cristiana de Iglesias, Declaración pública: Opinión de la Confraternidad Cristiana de Iglesias (CCI) sobre las normas nacionales sobre regulación de la fertilidad, 2008.
65. Pro-choice lawyer, Lidia Casas, had demanded his disqualification the grounds of this bias, without success.
66. Parlamentarios DC manifiestan su rechazo a decisión de TC por pi{dotless}́ldora', La Nación, 6 April 2008.
67. This position was supported by several opposition parliamentarians who were medical doctors, independent of their party affiliation, including Karla Rubilar (RN), Osvaldo Palma (RN) and Juan Lobos (UDI).
68. Gobierno en alerta por fallo adverso a pi{dotless}́ldora del di{dotless}́a despué s', La Nación, 3 April 2008.
69. Pi{dotless}́ldora: diputados RN apoyarán al gobierno', La Nación, 7 April 2008.
70. Alcaldes dispuestos a entregar la pi{dotless}́ldora del di{dotless}́a despué s', La Nación, 21 April 2008.
71. DC llama a legislar sobre anticoncepció n de emergencia', La Nación, 29 April 2008.
72. The Contralori{dotless}́a is a constitutional body of the state responsible, among other things, for supervising the legality of acts carried out by the public administration.
73. Pi{dotless}́ldora del di{dotless}́a después aprobada en general por el Senado', La Nación, 27 October 2009.
74. A side effect of this debate was that therapeutic abortion also became an issue during the campaign, with the three centre-left candidates favouring its reposition.
75. One congressman pulled out a Bible while arguing his case against the bill; observers from both fractions shouted slogans and were evicted from the discussion in the Senate.
76. Blofield, The politics of "moral sin"', 2001, p 29.
77. J Hurtado, S Pérez and C Dides, El debate sobre derechos sexuales y reproductivos en Chile: ¿Separació n iglesia-estado?', in C Dides (ed), Diálogos Sur-Sur sobre religión, derechos y salud sexual y reproductiva: los casos de Argentina, Colombia Chile y Perú, Santiago: Universidad Academia de Humanismo Cristiano, 2004.
78. L Baldez & JM Carey, Presidential agenda control and spending policy: lessons from General Pinochet's Constitution', American Journal of Political Science, 43(1), 1999, pp 29-55
79. P Siavelis, The President and Congress in Postauthoritarian Chile: Institutional Constraints to Democratic Consolidation, University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000.
80. M Blofield & L Haas, 'Defining a democracy: reforming the laws on women's rights in Chile, 1990-2002', Latin American Politics & Society, 47(3), 2005, pp 35-68
81. L Haas, 'The rules of the game: feminist policymaking in Chile', Politica, 46, 2006, pp 199-225.
82. Beyond sexual and reproductive rights, this included, for example, a gender-sensitive approach to pension reform as well as the rapid expansion of childcare services.
83. S Staab, 'Social investment policies in Chile and Latin America: towards equal opportunities for women and children?', Journal of Social Policy, 39 (4), 2010, pp 607-626.