Social Inequality In Colombia

1030 Words5 Pages
Colombia’s and Inequality Despite Colombia’s wealth of natural resources, geographical position and advantageous climate, historical circumstances have bestowed Colombia a series of social problems: high unemployment, a housing shortage, malnutrition and hunger, high rates of infant mortality and abandoned children, widespread poverty, alcoholism and drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, high rates of crime and violence, human rights abuses, fortified and violently polarised guerrilla factions, and inadequate health and education services. These problems can be traced back to the Spanish colonialism and imperialism. Even after Colombia’s independence from Spain, the new governors did not establish a political and social structure for the…show more content…
The best example in order to demonstrate this would be the case of the Chiquita Banana. In which it was exposed for subsidising paramilitaries near their plantations, both for “protection” and to repress any attempts by Chiquita’s low-paid workers to form unions. Guerrilla warfare, paramilitaries and the narcotics trade are additional factors resulting in the displacement of millions of refugees, who have fled to the overcrowded cities, or more frequently, left to other countries in search of safety and better opportunities. Women comprise 55 percent of internal refugees, and are often at high risk of sexual violence and unwanted pregnancies in which brings forth the problem/and the discussion regards violence against women, violations of women's rights, and entrenched gender…show more content…
She arrives dressed with a coat and a miniskirt underneath -- well, what's she playing at? And then, in order to absolve her sins she tells her father that she's been raped.” Just knowing the occupation of this man and his level of education, leaves us in doubt and preoccupation on the future of Colombia, as well as the safety of the women because one can not keep itself from thinking, if this is the idea of one the brilliant minds of the country then what about the rest? In fact there are many communities, organisations and governmental institutions that are working hardly to change the scales of gender inequality. One of these organisations is the Political Advocacy Roundtable of Rural Women, who are concerned about women’s livelihoods in the Colombian countryside as most Colombian women have informal jobs, the National Statistics Office and Labour Ministry only monitor the salaries and work conditions of formal employment. This mistreatment can be also seen in some of the agricultural sectors, such as the highly profitable cut flower industry, where women are subjected to pregnancy screenings before being hired and fired if ever they should become pregnant. Or in the city where female local mayors that work on the said ‘women issues’ is still seen to be secondary issues to the “real” political work of the country by their male co-workers. This has

More about Social Inequality In Colombia

Open Document