It has been interesting to observe the everyday life, responsibilities,
and gender roles of the women in this small Paraguayan community. Though one could never make statements about
Paraguayan women and their roles in general, I have included some my observations
from living alongside these hardworking, resourceful, resilient individuals.
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| The women of our Paraguayan host family |
The women I have observed:
* Are usually awake by 5:00am to start the cooking fire, and preparations
for the day, then end the day by preparing the evening meal, between 9:00 and 10:00 pm, and clean up before they
retire for the night.
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| Blancita prepares the morning meal |
* Prepare all of the family meals, which sometimes includes: butchering an animal, finding ways to prepare
every part of the animal, including hooves, lungs, ears and snouts, and cook it
all over open fire. They serve the meal, serve second helpings, ensuring
everyone is satisfied before sitting down to eat their own meal.
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| Leyla uses every part of the animal |
* Wash the entire family’s laundry by hand and hang it to dry.
* Milk the cows, make cheese, tend the garden, carry bundles of pasto, a coarse
grass, home from the fields to feed the horse, cow, chickens, cook down bean
pods and other roughages to feed to the pigs, and carry buckets of water to the
animals several times per day.
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| Modesta tends her small farm |
* Are responsible for caring for and raising the children, and
at times, grandchildren as well.
* Many accompany the men to work in the fields, to hoe weeds,
plant, and carry harvested crops in sacks weighing 50+ pounds on their heads,
sometimes miles to return home.
* Are the spiritual leaders in their towns, organizing
processions, teaching the children about the town’s patron saint, decorating
shrines and leading prayers. They believe and have faith and therefore it will
be.
* Prepare and serve terere to the men and any company that
might visit the home.
* Are the healers for their families, able to identify
hundreds of locally growing plants and their medicinal properties, using them
to treat maladies from intestinal parasites, to high blood pressure, to urinary
infections, to skin abscesses, to aches and pains, to sore throats, coughs and
more.
* Care for the elderly in their families, whether in their own
homes, or taking food for daily visits, sharing harvests, or finding
transportation to a doctor’s appointment located an hour from town.
* Plan and organize family gatherings, holidays, and
celebrations, and finding enough food and sleeping places to go around.
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| Antolina and I get a ride home from her son's wedding in the back of a pick up |
*In their “free time” wash, dry, card, and dye raw wool, finger-spin
it to make loose yarn, then crochet using the hand processed yarn to make
products to be marketed along the ruta to make a little additional income for
the family.
* Girls are expected to be chaperoned by a brother, friend or
other family member when walking to another part of town.
* Some girls do not attend school beyond sixth grade and are
sent by their families to larger towns to become live-in nannies, and unfortunately,
at times, the job comes with it expected services for other members of the
family, as well.
* Young women in a relationship are expected to ask permission
from a boyfriend before visiting someone or attending an event without him.
* Some teenage girls become the head of the household when
their parents move away to work in the large ranches in surrounding areas, and
take over all of the responsibilities previous shared with their mothers. They
insure their siblings are fed, have clean clothes, and get to school and soccer
games on time.
* Many young mothers leave their babies to be raised by their
own mothers. When the baby reaches six months of age, and is able to be weaned from
breast milk, the mother moves to a larger community to work, sending money home
to the family, and visiting when she is able.
*And through it all, these women support each other, and
continue with each new day, living their lives.
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| In Ramona's household, four generations share the responsibilities |
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