Happy Families Include The Dads Too

Everyone knows you can’t build a house on crooked foundations, so why do people think you can empower only part of a family?

Women in 20 Latin American countries are getting paid to help their families. They must attend diet and hygeine classes, and also ensure their children attend school and regular check-ups. The classes teach the mothers to have greater awareness of their rights and opportunities so that they can support their children, who learn the same set of values at school. But what about the dads?

While many Latin American countries have a large history of matriarchy, the machista state of mind has restricted women’s influence. The Families in Action program focuses on mothers to restore a balance in families.

“Too many men in this city think that all women are good for is having children and keeping house. We’ve learned we don’t have to accept those limits,” said one program participant who is now working to become a hairdresser.

The only problem is, it seems to be backfiring for some families.

Fathers seem to be completely removed from the entire process. The machista state of mind will not be changed if the men are left out. Their wives, sons, daughters, and sisters are all getting this new education that they can’t access. This would be threatening to anyone, let alone a man who expects his wife to know her place. This makes it even more likely they will reject the change and work to keep the status quo harder than before. Already, some husbands whose wives participated left them because their newfound assertiveness was an affront to them.

Better health and the eradication of poverty go hand in hand and these programs have made strong headway towards bettering conditions for women and their families. But long-term change will only come if everyone is included.

Having a strong, independent mother is nice. Having a strong, supportive father makes it better. No one likes being left out.

Contact the author here: sedera@morningquickie.com