Womens Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean

In every country in Latin America and the Caribbean, women suffer acute discrimination. Often, the discrimination women face is related to social prejudices regarding appropriate patterns of conduct for men and women. This entrenched sex inequality provides the backdrop for the pervasive and widespread human rights violations women face in the region, with little chance of justice. The most pernicious types of womens human rights abuses in the Americas occur in the areas of womens reproductive and sexual health and rights, discrimination and violence against women in the workplace, and violence against women in the home. After decades of dictatorships in some countries, democracy has not meant an end to impunity for violations of women†¦show more content†¦Latin America and the Caribbean is the region with the second highest HIV prevalence rate after sub-Saharan Africa. Women increasingly constitute the majority of those newly infected. Even so, governments have failed to in corporate respect for womens human rights into their central responses to the epidemic. In the Dominican Republic, for example, women are subjected to illegal HIV testing without informed consent when they seek employment or health care, and those who test positive are routinely fired from their jobs and sometimes denied public healthcare. In addition, public health professionals often reveal confidential HIV test results to womens families without the tested individuals knowledge or consent, exposing them to a heightened risk of violence and stigma. Other countries in the region, such as Peru, require as a matter of law that all pregnant women test for HIV without ensuring womens confidentiality or consent, and without linking HIV tests and counseling to the pervasive problem of domestic violence. Womens inequality in Latin America and the Caribbean is reflected in the discrimination they face in the workplace. Since the 1960s, the number of economically active women in the region has more than tripled. Though more than half of theseShow MoreRelatedAmerica, Mexico, The Caribbean, And South America Make Up Latin America Essay1070 Words   |  5 PagesCentral America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America make up Latin America. Approximately 640 million people reside in this region. Latin America is the largest foreign supplier of oil to the United States. It is the United States’ fastest growing trading partner, as well as its biggest supplier of illegal drugs. Latin America is also the largest source of U.S immigrants, both documented and not. The life expectancy for females is 72 years of age and the life expectancy for males is 79 yearsRead MoreGender Inequality During Latin American Countries1373 Words   |  6 Pagesinequality affected women in Latin American countries? 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