Women in Ecuador

Abstract

The ideology of machismo refers to masculine dominance and sexual conquest and is present in most Latin American countries’ culture including Ecuador. Gender roles vary greatly across Ecuadorian classes and ethnicities, ranging from equal to male–dominated. Gender roles are also tied to the heavily Catholic influence of a patriarchal society, where women are relegated to the domestic sphere and expected to submit to the will of their male relatives. Despite this, Ecuador was the first Latin American country to grant women the right to vote in 1929 and laws exist to protect women against gender-based discrimination and violence.