Understanding gender socialisation

In order to understand the impact of changing gender roles in Guatemala on primary socialisation processes as a result of the incorporation of women in the workplace, it is necessary to first understand the overall background of gender relations.

Most cultures and societies that have been under strong western influence, including Guatemala, are firmly rooted in patriarchate, a hierarchical system of economic, social and political relations based on the sexual difference between men and women, which considers men as the standard of the system. Patriarchate is based upon a gender-based division of work, whereby male domination and female submission form the basic structuring principle of society.

It encompasses institutions responsible for its reproduction, including beliefs such as:

• Sexism: beliefs that justify male superiority over women;
• The belief that women exist because the family exists, denying women's individual needs, interests and characteristics. In Guatemala, this even implies that women and girls have less access to health services and education, resulting in more health and nutrition problems, and higher illiteracy levels;
• Machismo, implying the glorification of certain ‘typically male' characteristics; and
• The assignment of specific roles to men and women, which are considered ‘natural'.

The family and gender socialisation in Guatemala

Primary socialisation of gender roles starts within the family. In the case of Guatemala, the monogamous nuclear family structure was imposed during the colonisation process of the Mayan peoples, through Catholic evangelisation and social rules regarding the relations between men and women.

This process of acculturation and cultural hybridisation resulted in specific gender-based roles, developed and learned within the household unit, whereby tasks related to the public domain and to the generation of family income were assigned to men, while women were assigned tasks of biological and social reproduction that were mostly limited to the private, domestic domain.

Through gender-differential pedagogy, games and toys, girls and boys are taught how to behave in accordance with their gender. Among the Maya, the role of women and children also includes economic responsibility at home, as the division between public and private spheres in agricultural tasks is constructed in a different manner. Nevertheless, some kind of male dominance also exists, but it takes on a different form.

Increased work participation by women

In the last decades, the increased participation of women in the workforce has resulted in changes in gender relations in private spheres. These changes are associated with the social transformation that took place throughout Latin America as a result of modernisation in the areas of education, incorporation in the salary system and the increased attention for individual rights.

In Guatemala, however, modernisation did not come with a generalised incorporation of workers – not even men – in formal salary systems, and most families have been facing  precarious economic situations. Hence, the increased female participation in work did not result in changes in gender roles and the existing norms of female subjection to the domestic domain and men's authority. Even in cases where the division of household tasks has changed, this has not been accompanied by genuine ideological or cultural changes.

Claridad: strengthening gender equity in work relations

Against this background, the Institute for Trade Union Education and Training "Claridad" has been implementing training and research programmes from a gender perspective since 2000. These programmes aim to highlight women's contribution in all work areas, particularly by training and raising awareness among female workers regarding their gender and human rights.

In addition, the Institute offers gender workshops to other organisations and creates a space for women to reflect on gender-based inequalities. Claridad also produces background papers on trade union issues from a gender perspective.

Nevertheless, due to the existing status quo, most women still see their work situation as a heavy burden that has to be carried, and do not recognise the need to change the existing gender relations in this area.

Although Claridad's programmes have served to raise women's awareness regarding gender equity, we still need to expand and deepen our efforts in several areas. On the one hand, gender issues are generally assumed to be ‘by women for women': hence, the male-female dynamics are not complete, as men are absent. Therefore, the increased involvement of men in gender training is an important priority, in order for them to recognise the limitations that their own roles impose upon them.

On the other hand, it is necessary to deepen critical reflection about the existing gender inequities and the condition of female workers, in order to help women create a new gender identity that includes the fulfilment of public functions, and the acquisition of the associated skills needed for these new roles.