Citation

Ferre R. Hopscotch: A Cultural Review 2001; 2(2): 176-179.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, Duke University Press)

DOI

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PMID

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Abstract

How do we women in Puerto Rico acquit ourselves in the panorama opening before us in the third millennium? What are our strongest and weakest points today? Puerto Rican women have made impressive inroads in their professional careers, but not everything is as encouraging as it seems. In fact, our feminist movement appears to be in danger, and only our constant awareness and dedication will ensure continued progress. During the last seven years women on the island have made gains in government. Because the public sector offers positions that require great dedication, at relatively low salaries, women consistently take them on. Puerto Rican men prefer private-sector positions of leadership, which pay better and do not require the sacrifices typical of public service. A notable example of those gains is Sila María Calderón, secretary of state under our previous governor and now mayor of San Juan, who will be the Popular Party's candidate for governor in 2001. Although women have occupied positions of influence in government for almost a decade, very few have occupied positions of power, as Calderón has done.

Concerns of intimate partner violence in the home and the treatment of battered women in the courts are discussed.