I just played two awesome games of co-ed volleyball and soccer with a group of visiting highschool students from the island of Utila, here at a the
Hacienda El Jaral hotel/resort where I am enjoying an overnight stay. I am participating in a 2 day workshop on citizen participation and influencing decision makers ( "
learning to lobby" doesn't quite translate to "incidencia politica" but that is a close approximation without the negative associations...). The workshop is interesting, but the two games of competitive rec sports, in bare feet, on lush green grass really made my day. Adding to my entertainment were the fellow players' unique accents: a really interesting mix of Carribean English, with a few Spanish words thrown in for good measure. When they needed me to understand what they were saying they'd switch over to an American-ish accent for my benefit. Great all round entertainment!
The co-ed nature of ths game was pretty special too, as that is really rare here. It's almost always boys or men playing, and girls watching or texting on their cell phones on the side. Gender considerations are big here. All of my current/future projects have gender as a transversal theme and last week I had the opportunity to observe and assist with half-day gender and empowerment workshop in a nearby
pueblo (small town/village). My employers have some baseline data for these areas on attitudes and knowledge about health, sanitation, nutrition and food security. One finding is that 65% of the women have to ask for permission from their husbands if they want to see a doctor. Most of them have to ask permission to visit a female friend. Most of them always eat last, and save the protein for their husbands and children (in that order), even if they are doing agricultural labour, are pregnant and are breastfeeding...all at once. Consequently, gender equity is recognized as an important part of the Honduran development landscape.
I have translated one of the exercises from the gender workshop below. We answered 20 true and false questions.*. I invite you to take the test! Not surprisingly, this Canadian girl with university courses in the anthropology of gender under her feminist belt scored way high on the gender equity side of things. I admit, I did answer that women are better at taking care of small babies, but I thought that milk filled breasts really give us the upper hand at this one. My high equity score gave the facilitator a chance to contrast my upbringing, and my societal learnings, with those of rural Honduras. "You are born with a penis or a vulva, but your gender is a learned thing, and a role you take on." (direct translation...don't get on my case about M/F not being the only sexes...I know, I know, but rural Honduras just ain't ready for that yet!).
Here you go, True or False?
