When it comes to global gender equality in the workplace there is still a long way to go, and for women in Argentina too, the fight for equal rights is still in full swing.

Argentine women have undoubtedly gained ground in their battle for gender equality in the working world. However, new results published last week by the UN revealed that Argentina’s place in the worldwide gender inequality index has slipped from last year. Argentina was ranked 71st out of 186 countries surveyed, down from 61st place in last year’s index, as a result of maternal deaths and high teenage pregnancy.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling

The good news is that the country is progressing in terms of gender equality in the workplace; Argentina scored highly on the index in the equality of political representation, education, and labour. And Argentina’s Congress, where women represent 38% of the seats, is evidence of this. The UN also states that thanks to its female parliamentary representation, as well as its female president and ministers, Argentina ranks among the top five countries with the highest government female representation.

With this in mind, Argentina’s goal to attain gender equality in the labour market seems achievable, and although the country is clearly demonstrating its progress, along with many other countries, it is still a long way off from penetrating that glass ceiling. A recent survey published by information provider Randstad Workmonitor, showed that in Argentina, men are earning on average 23% more than women who are working in the exact same roles. And according to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook chief operating officer, the reason for this and one of the main factors hindering the progress of gender equality in the working world is women’s reluctance to fight for what they deserve. In her controversial book, ‘Lean In’, published this month, Sandberg was attacked by feminists across the world who believed that she was blaming women for their lack of career ambition.

However, as controversial as her views are, Sandberg believes, simply, that it is time for women to face some cold truths. She says that women are more unwilling to ask for a pay rise, have a tendency to hold back in meetings and do not always believe their self-worth – behaviours that have been instilled from a long history of gender bias. Sandberg says that in her experience men will put themselves forward for promotion when they only have some of the skills needed, whereas women will only apply for a promotion if they have 100%, and will instead wait to be asked, or have to be encouraged.  Her frustration, she adds, comes from her experience in watching companies lose “valuable talent because of their problem with women, and mothers in particular”.

“The tipping point for me was watching men and women I managed over the last 15 years. No matter what I did, the men started to get ahead of the women. At every step, their foot was on the gas pedal and they were leaning in and women were leaning back. Of Yale alumni who had reached their 40s in 2000, only 56% of the women remained in the workforce, compared to 90% of the men.”

New Ideas

There is no doubt that women still have their work cut out. However, one area where Argentine women are making ground is in their move into roles that have been traditionally occupied by men. And with certain industries crying out for more female representation, it is a development that needs to garner further support and social awareness.

Maria Laura Cazalbon, who works for the Gendarmeria Institute in Buenos Aires, stresses the importance of a balanced male-female security force. “We need more women as they play a very important role in various different areas of gendarmería (border patrol), for example male officers on patrol cannot search females which makes it difficult when carrying out routine but essential drug checks on the streets. In fact, without women there is a huge problem. Also, female officers are able to gain a rapport with other women when we are investigating and carrying out these searches, etc.”

Maria Laura Cazalbon- former Salta police officer (Photo: Terra Borody)

Cazalbon joined the Salta province police force in 2005; a time that the area was experiencing a huge drugs problem. “A lot of women were taking a number of measure to conceal their drug possession, including hiding it under their clothing and swallowing the drug packets. So when I joined the force at that time women were playing a big part in helping carry out the searches,” Maria Laura says. “It was crucial that we had women in place to undertake this responsibility.”

In order to help bring more women into the security forces, gendarmería launched a programme in 2001 to help appoint more women as officers and integrate them into the ranks. The three-year programme involves comprehensive police and military training, and on completion the trainees graduate as an official in a selected rank. Cazalbon says that the programme has helped set the balance between men and women in the security forces and that seeing the volume of  women on duty on the streets today is a clear example of how well the programme has worked.

“We’re levelling it out more, although it depends on where you are. In the station where I’m working there are more men than women still, and women still tend to gravitate towards the more operative roles in the offices so we definitely need more women out on the streets.”

She adds that in her experience as a police and gendarmería woman she has always received equal treatment and respect. “Working in an environment with men, you have to make sure that you demand the respect you deserve, if you’re not getting it. To make sure you’re all working on the same terms and on the same level, I think this is the most important thing that women need to think about when they’re working in a male-dominated environment.”

Female taxi driver Marisa Lacunza, agrees that gaining equal respect to that of your male colleagues and from your customers is a main priority for women in any job, but especially in those were women are in the minority.

Taxis in Buenos Aires (Photo: Jason Jones on Flickr)

“Being a female taxi driver in Argentina is still a fairly new concept so it is a challenge to be accepted by your passengers, because for society and some of the male taxi drivers, the idea is still a novelty. But passengers are both my priority and my daily challenge, on occasions they decide against getting into my car when they see that I am a woman. And very often my male passengers will constantly watch how I’m driving and then compliment me on how good my driving is! But I think that a lot of people, especially the elderly, appreciate having a woman driver, and feel safer with it.”

Additionally, María Morales Miy, owner and former chef of Buenos Aires restaurant Almacén Secreto , also believes that in the working environment, and particularly one that is dominated by men, it is essential that women command the same level of  professional respect. “I think that cooking in the domestic kitchen has always been a job that has been associated with women, yet the majority of famous chefs are still men. However, it is really refreshing that all of the management at Almacén Secreto are women.”

Miy explains, however, that being a female restaurant owner and manager still comes with its challenges, particularly when working on large sponsorship and investment projects. However, she says that these occasions are the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the strength and dedication of Argentine business women. It is clear that Argentine women are ready to step up to the challenge of achieving gender equality in the working world, and as the attitudes towards gender association continue to evolve, the country is edging closer to the results it needs.

“When I’m proposing a deal with a potential client or sponsor who needs to know about the figures for a project, the first hesitation that men have is that you, as a woman, are not presenting it or understanding it properly, or they don’t think that you’re taking it that seriously perhaps,” she says. “However it’s our job to reverse this instantly, to even take gender out of the equation, and just make sure that we’re all working on equal terms.”

If you would like to contact Marisa Lacunza, about taxi services please email: argentina.taxis@gmail.com

A new study shows Argentina’s place in the United Nation’s worldwide gender inequality index has fallen since last year.

The study, conducted by United Nations Program for Development (UNDP), placed Argentina at 71st out of 148 countries surveyed, down from 61st in the previous index. Argentina scored high in equality of political representation, education, and labour, but fell behind in reproductive health.

The Gender Inequality Score of Argentina in 2013 is 0.380, just behind Chile (0.360) but higher than the regional score of 0.419, and global score of 0.463. A higher value represents higher levels of gender inequality. Argentina’s score was brought down by maternal deaths and teen pregnancy.

“We are good in theory, because we have (pro-woman) laws and contraceptives, but bad in practice because there is still a lot of reluctance against sex education and distribution of contraceptives,” Mabel Bianco, head of the Foundation for Studies and Research on Women said, according to Clarín.

To reduce the amount of unwanted pregnancies, Bianco said the Ministry of Health must call on all provinces to unify around a court ruling for legal abortion. “We have to repeat what we did for Influenza A, we have to face this problem together,” she said.

The UNDP has been compiling this study since 2010, with the numbers showing that no major changes have occurred in the last few years in Argentina.

In the UNDP’s overall Human Development Index, Argentina is ranked 45th (out of 186 countries), and alongside Chile is the only South American country considered to have ‘very high human development’.

In 1977, the UN proclaimed 8th March as International Women’s Day to commemorate the struggle of women for their participation in society on equal terms with men. The 20th century brought with it significant changes for women: they revolutionised their role within the family and won territory in fields such as labour, science, the arts, academia, and politics.

In Argentina, women’s rise to prominence is conspicuous. With a female president, several female ministers, and one of the highest percentages of female parliamentary representation in the world, it would be easy to think that Argentine society affords women a position of privilege.

However, such achievements have been the result of decades of struggle within a deeply patriarchal society. Let us take a look at the milestones that paved the way towards the progress of women’s rights over the last century.

1947 – Female Vote

The enactment of law 13,010 in September 1947, which gave women the right to vote, frequently appears as a turning point and a substantial change in the inclusion of women in Argentina’s institutional life. The law had been pushed by Peronism during the electoral campaign and had been a recurrent topic in many of president Juan Domingo Perón’s and his wife’s speeches. It was Eva Perón, ‘Evita’, who specially insisted on the speedy enactment of this law, which became one of her primary objectives.

1949 – Eva Perón and the Female Peronist Party

Eva Perón delivering a speech in Casa Rosada.

Throughout Argentine history, there has been unanimous acknowledgement of the fact that Evita made ​​of the recognition of equal civil and political rights between men and women a critical cause. Her charisma and leadership introduced ​​Argentine women to the public sphere in a way that was unheard of before her.

After obtaining the female vote in 1947, Evita understood that the law on its own would not ensure the presence of women among the candidates in the following elections. For that reason, in 1949, together with a group of politically active women, Evita found the Partido Peronista Femenino (Female Peronist Party, or PPF). According to its general regulations, the PPF was intimately linked to the Peronist movement, but was autonomous from the original Peronist party formed by men.

Even though Evita did not match the political profile of the groundbreaking feminists of the time, her figure symbolised the achievement of the rights for which they had been fighting for decades. Women finally made their first appearance in the public sphere. However, the Peronist dogma also guarded the secular ideal of maternal and homely women, unable to dismantle the patriarchal stereotype that essentially divided the housewives from the political activists.

Marta Minujín in a 1966 happening which consisted in her throwing ice cream at the Obelisk and then others licking it. (Photo from Revista Panorama, 1967)

1960s – Sexual and Artistic Revolution

From the taking over of factories and universities to the sexual revolution and the hippie movement, the political rebellion took a broader meaning when the search of alternative family values and new forms of expression for women arose. Women’s clothing were a true reflection of such changes, as new ‘unisex’ clothes and miniskirts became a ubiquitous symbol of a sexuality freed from many of its rituals and taboos. 

During the ‘60s, the Torcuato Di Tella Institute brought together all the artistic avant-garde trends in Buenos Aires and harboured controversial female artists who were getting noticed in the local scene. Under the influence of pop art, Marta Minujín, Dalila Puzzovio, Mary Tapia, and other artists articulated visual arts with fashion and design linked to the body and daily life. 

1977 – International Women’s Day

The government of Maria Estela Martinez de Perón officially adhered to the International Women’s Day proclaimed by the United Nations.

1985 – Joint Parental Custody

In Argentina, joint custody had been established in 1949 by that year’s constitutional amendment. The repeal of this amendment by the military dictatorship in 1956 restored the inequality between women and men for several decades. In 1974, Congress re-established joint custody, but president Maria Estela Martinez de Perón vetoed the bill. The influential conservatives in Argentina argued that the family unit required that one of the parents had “the last word”, and that for cultural and traditional reasons this power should be attributed by law to the man.

In 1985, during the democratic government of Raúl Alfonsín, joint custody, a right claimed by women for years, was restored through law 23,234.

1987 – Divorce

In the midst of protests by powerful Catholic sectors, on 3rd June 1987 Congress voted for what went down in history as the “divorce law”. The very foundations of the Argentine state are rooted in the family model as defined by the Catholic paradigm, which devoted greater powers to the man over the family and imposed limits on women’s decision-making.

The law also attacked some forms of discrimination that limited women, who obtained, among other rights, equal conditions and the possibility to choose whether or not to use their husband’s surnames.

1991 – Quota Law

The quota law, adopted on 6th November 1991, established a minimum 30% female participation in the lists of candidates for legislative elections. Thus, Argentina became the first country in the region to implement a quota system to ensure the participation of women in national politics: for every two men, one woman.

1994 – A New Constitution, A New Step Forward

The constitutional reform of 1994 signified an important breakthrough in the recognition of women’s rights. The Constituent Assembly embodied in the new constitution the accomplishments so far consummated by women, and provided them with a legal framework and constitutional status. From the female vote, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Quota Law, the law on Protection against Family Violence, to the Program “Victims against Violence” and the creation of the Office of Domestic Violence in the Supreme Court, the State began to return women their rights, complying with international human rights treaties.

2008 – The Battle Against Human Trafficking

Ministry of Security Nilda Garré in a meeting with Susana Trimarco, Marita Veron’s mother. (Photo courtesy of Ministerio de Seguridad)

On 29th April 2008, Argentina adhered to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children through the enactment of Law 26,364 on the Prevention and Punishment of Trafficking in Persons and Victims’ Assistance.

The acquittal of those accused in the case of the abduction and disappearance of Marita Verón in 2012, sparked public outrage and accelerated the amendment of the law, which deepened the mechanisms to fight human trafficking. This amendment, which was passed unanimously, includes stiffer penalties for those found guilty of trafficking and an expansion of victims’ rights.

The fight against human trafficking in Argentina recorded in 2012 a total of 690 victims rescued from sexual exploitation networks and other 432 from labour exploitation such as clandestine textile workshops.

2009 – Fighting Violence Against Women

In April 2009, Law 26,485 on Violence Against Women was enacted.

The law recognises that violence against women and girls stems from discrimination, and proposes fundamental changes in the education system, both in curricula and in textbooks, teacher training, and the inclusion of a gender perspective in the training of the armed and security forces. Moreover, it provides the victims of this kind of violence with economic, physical, and psychological support.

2013 – Today’s Public Women

Argentine women are beginning to occupy a prominent place in the public sphere, more specifically in the artistic and the political fields. Today, women hold 38% of the seats in parliament, a number that turns the Argentine Congress into one of the parliaments with the greatest female presence in the region. In fact, according to the UN, the Argentine parliament is among the top five with the highest proportion of women in the world, ahead of most European countries.

Minister Débora Giorgi, one of the three women in the Excecutive Power, visiting Tecnópolis in 2011. (Photo courtesy of Tecnópolis)

At the executive level, as well as President Cristina Fernández, three women hold key ministries: the Minister of Social Development Alicia Kirchner, Minister of Security Nilda Garré, and Minister of Industry Débora Giorgi. There are also two female governors, Tierra del Fuego’s Fabiana Rios, and Catamarca’s Lucía Corpacci.

As for the feminist movement in Argentina, its groups have recognised that linking up with the state by adopting a position of greater openness undoubtedly increases the opportunities to be a part of the discussion and analysis of public policies. However, some consider that by having entered in the official agenda, the movement lost its strength and left the door open to the relativisation of several certainties of the past.

There is no doubt in that Argentina has come a long way in the fight against women’s discrimination and its unjust, and many times inhumane, manifestations. Over the last decades and under major social pressure, Argentine legislation began to tackle the issues of social and political inequality between men and women and to assist victims of femicide.

Unfortunately, sexual inequality persists in the social margins, entrenched in poverty, immigration discrimination, domestic violence, etc. There is still disparity between the formal achievements and the actual practices. International Women’s Day is not meant to congratulate ourselves for the accomplishments other women have attained before us, but to remind us that the eradication of fear and the transformation of patriarchal habits and attitudes are still goals to achieve.

TopIt Partners Guillermo and Ilana (Photo courtesy of TopIt)

Ilana Messing’s colleagues can’t seem to understand that she and her Argentine male business partner, Guillermo, are just that: business partners. Equals. Nothing more. During business meetings, the New York-born founder of Top It, a frozen yogurt retailer in Palermo Soho, finds herself constantly defending her independence.

“They say ‘How long have you been married?’ and I answer ‘We’re not.’ Then they say ‘Oh, but you’re dating!’ And I say ‘No, we’re just business partners.’ And then they come back and say ‘But you used to date?’ ‘No.’ ‘AH! You’re siblings!’ They just can’t understand that I’m there on my own merit.”

Messing’s experience points to the interesting position occupied by women entrepreneurs in Argentina, a country that has recently made great leaps towards gender equality but has yet to shed many of its machista attitudes.

One need not look far to see sweeping changes. At present Argentina has a female president, two female Supreme Court Judges, a female minister of security, and a quota mandating that at least one third of senate and congressional seats are filled by females. More Argentine women than men are enrolled in secondary and tertiary education.

The international community has taken note of such advances. The World Economic Forum ranked Argentina 28th out of 135 countries in it’s 2011 Gender Gap Report, 13 slots higher than where it was ranked in 2006. However the report also reveals an interesting, less laudable, phenomenon. While Argentine women are enjoying more political and educational opportunities than ever before, the country ranks markedly lower, 84th out of 135, when it comes to economic participation and opportunities for women.

Maria MacDonald of YoQueVos

Maria MacDonald, a Minnesota native who founded the bi-weekly style newsletter YoQueVos, claims that working as an entrepreneur in Argentina for the past six years, she has grown accustomed to being the only woman in the room.

“I’ll always remember the first presentation I ever gave at a conference. I got up and realized I was looking at a sea of completely male faces. It was quite a shock.”

She also mentioned that NXTP Labs, the accelerator seed fund that supports her, sponsors only one other female-founded venture out of 14 businesses in total.

“The sad fact is that there just aren’t that many of us [women entrepreneurs],” says Vanessa Kolodziej, a native Argentine who runs her own entrepreneurship incubator called BA Accelerator. Kolodziej also has plans to launch a regional NGO dedicated to increasing female participation in the business realm before the end of the year.

The challenges faced by businesswomen in Argentina might partially explain their rarity. Silvina Carles, a native Argentine and owner of Marfa, a popular lunch takeout and delivery service in Palermo Hollywood, claims that she has often felt targeted by male competitors operating cafes in her area – an annoyance which she attributes to her services’ overwhelming success. While the other cafes and parillas near her storefront often sit empty, Carles dispatches 180 to 200 meals a day. She explains how one particularly begrudging neighbor often seizes on tiny violations such as improper motorcycle parking in order to call the police on her.

“It is very obvious to me that he just does not like seeing a woman who has achieved success,” Carles explains, shrugging.

Boradcast journalist Esther Marie-Mertz

Broadcast journalist Esther Marie-Mertz describes a time that she entered an interview with a government minister only to have the official insist on speaking through his press attaché because of her gender.

“At the beginning he asked his aide to ask me what questions I was going to ask. I answered him directly and he didn’t react. When we began rolling the camera, he didn’t look at me once throughout the entire interview.”

Yet these annoyances cannot fully account for the lack of female entrepreneurs as others report they have never encountered machismo in their business ventures. Kodolziej, for instance, cannot remember a time that she was treated differently on account of being female, and claims that it many cases it serves as an advantage rather than an impediment.

“I do not feel any discrimination, on the contrary, being a girl in [the business] world has been an asset: people remember you, take special account of what you say, and once you prove you are as competent as any other guy, they respect you more.”

California-born Corinne Allen, the co-founder of Buenos Aires Delivery, an online service that allows customers to order food to their homes from over 400 restaurants, agrees. Much of Allen’s work consists of approaching restaurant owners and inviting them to list their businesses on Buenos Aires Delivery. She is convinced that “especially when it comes to sales, being a woman can be a big help. People immediately trust you more.”

So why, then, do there seem to be relatively few women entrepreneurs in Argentina? Carlés, the owner of Marfa, chalks the dearth up to societal values. “I am 45, and I believe things are changing in the younger generations, but the Argentine norm is still that women should prioritise family. Most women study because they have to study. They don’t study for tomorrow. Tomorrow they want to marry, and hopefully someone with money.”

Vanesa Kolodziej (Photo: Beatrice Murch)

Kolodziej believes another part of the answer could lie with women themselves. “Women are more conservative,” she explains. By nature, entrepreneurship is unpredictable and risky. There are no set schedules, no set salaries, and no guarantees. Especially in the context of caring for a family, which is widely considered a woman’s duty in Argentina, these factors are discouraging.

However Silvia Carbonell, the director of the Center of Entrepreneurship at Universidad Austral, is optimistic that the environment is changing for women entrepreneurs in Argentina.

“As in the rest of the world [Argentine] women are incorporating themselves into the labor force and business world. There is a growing population of women entrepreneurs that in general tends to be lower profile.”

Even if the number of Argentine women entrepreneurs is increasing, there are seemingly few discussions about the issues faced by women in the Argentine business realm. Many of the entrepreneurs interviewed for this article reported that they had never thought about their gender in the context of their business endeavors. Others attest that they purposely avoid thinking or conversing about their gender, focusing instead on maximising their performances so that gender becomes, in their minds, a non-issue.

However, perhaps to ignore gender completely is to implicitly suggest it’s an obstacle – that one has to work hard enough to transcend the bounds of womanhood. We will never live in a post-gendered world, and much could be gained by discussing how to harness and capitalise on the differences between men and women as opposed to pretending they don’t exist.