THE MOTHER OF THE NICARAGUANSDona Violeta and the UNO’s

Gender Agenda

Violeta Barrios de Chamorro

President of Nicaragua

April 25, 1990 – January 10, 1997

Nicaragua

Violeta Barrios de Chamorro’s Family

Violeta’s husband Pedro Joaquin Chamorro Was assassinated in January 1978 Was an editor of the daily newspaper La Prensa Was one of the most important political figures in

recent Nicaraguan history Outspoken opponent of the Somoza dynasty for

decades His assassination set off general strikes that set off

several periods of popular insurrection Violeta’s children

Two are opposed to the revolution like her Two are fervent Sandinistas All have been actively involved in politics All are in good relations with one another

Violeta Chamorro’s Campaign

Represented the National Opposition Union or Union Nacional Opositora (UNO)

Projected an image of herself as the mother of her country

Presented as symbolic of the private woman and traditional mother

Reminded public she was the widow of Pedro Joaquin Promised she would reconcile the Nicaraguan people

(affected by a decade of war) as she had reconciled her own politically torn family

Was called the “Mom of all Nicaraguans” Won the presidential election in 1990 with 54.7% of

the vote

Violeta’s Image

1) Loyal wife and widow2) Reconciling mother3) Virgin Mary

- Often dressed in white -

the symbol of purity

Symbolism

DONA VIOLETA VIRGIN MARY

Suffered the murder of her husband

The widow of a martyred savior

Compliant to her husband’s will

Unable to act without male direction

Celibate since Pedro Joaquin’s death (loyal-widow image)

Suffered the murder of her son

The mother of a martyred savior

Complied with the will of God and Jesus

Could only plead the case of humans before God the Father

The celibacy of Mary

Nicaraguan History

Somoza regime was dictatorial and repressive After Violeta Chamorro’s husband’s assassination she takes over

the management of La Prensa which helps the Sandinista cause Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) takes control

of the country in 1979 Within a year Violeta Chamorro is disillusioned with the leftist

policies of the Sandinistas and uses her newspaper to attack them Contras fight against the Sandinista government Sandinista government agrees to hold free elections in

1990 Violeta Chamorro of the National Opposition Union is elected over

Daniel Ortega Saavedra (Sandinista candidate) Violeta Chamorro is the first women president of a Central

American nation

Changes under the Sandinistas

New economic opportunities for women Reforms in labor law Social services like child care centers Expanded educational opportunities

New opportunities for reformed gender relations No-fault divorce Establishment of government agencies to help

women put their new rights into practice

UNO Political program

UNO promised the “moral and social recovery of the traditional nucleus of the Nicaraguan family” Reimposed traditional patterns of parental,

particularly paternal, control A campaign advertisement warned that

voting for the FSLN would result in the “continuation of obligatory military service and the suffering of mothers”

• Violeta Barrios de Chamorro took her husband’s last name

•Made it clear she was not a guerrilla (Sandinista image of womanhood)

•Made it clear she was not knowledgeable about politics and thus would be able to end the contra war• Traditional womanhood appealed to older women

Violeta Chamorro’s Gender Agenda

Three policies emerged from the executive branchEducationDay Care“Economic Conversion”

Education

New textbooks in a series called “Morals and Civics” were published Presented images and discussions of correct

gender and generational relations Emphasized the value of legal marriage Emphasized the evils of abortion Sixth-grade text had a nine page discussion of

the Ten Commandments (wanted openness of values of Christian inspiration)

Social Services

Child Development Centers and Rural Child Services were closed or cut back on services provided to children

Plan for Economic Conversion

UNO wanted to cut female employment because a woman’s role is in the home as a “good mother”

Plan encouraged members of the state bureaucracy to quit their jobs in exchange for a cash payment of up to $2000 (US) These workers could then start own small

businesses Most of these businesses wouldn’t survive in the

disastrous economy U.S. encouraged this plan to reduce state

bureaucracy

• This plan had two unintended benefits• Reduced the number of Sandinistas in the

bureaucracy• Returned women to their traditional roles as

housewives• More women ended up taking advantage

of the plan than men did

Division in UNOpresents opportunity for feminists

SOCIAL CONSERVATIVES LAISSEZ-FAIRE CONSERVATIVES

Violeta Chamorro’s model

Religious hierarchy Promotes ascribed roles

for women and men Gender as a divinely

oriented ordering in which men have natural authority over women

Women support men

Women believe there are few natural differences between the sexes

Fight for women’s rights

Alliances for legislation

In 1991 legislation was introduced to enforce paternal child support Initially proposed during Sandinista rule but

never passed because included social as well as economic responsibility

New legislation was delayed reportedly because of pressures from religious hierarchy which is allied with social conservatives

Pressure from Laissez-faire conservatives as well as Sandinistas persuaded the vote

Bill approved and became law in 1992

Sex-Crime legislation

In 1992 the Commission on Women proposed a revision of sex-crime legislation Signed by 12 Sandinista representatives, both

women and men, and 5 female representatives from the UNO

First step was a draft bill calling for broadening the definition of rape and strengthening its penalties

Two provisions became controversial Proposals to eliminate the antisodomy provision

of the 1974 code Depenalize abortion in the case of rape

Two articles

• UNO supported and FSLN rejected two controversial provisions (both pass)

The antisodomy law language was strengthened in the final version. The 1992 version penalized both conduct and speech that might be construed as promoting such conduct

Raped women were denied the right to an abortion but did have the right to collect child support from the rapist

Why the child-support law passed but the antisodomy law was strengthened instead of eliminated• The child-support law would benefit the majority of Nicaraguans while the antisodomy law would only hurt a small minority• Grass roots organizing helped in the child support law• The Archbishop announced that homosexual practices were “immoral” and endorsed the antisodomy article thus Violeta Chamorro was obligated to sign it into law

National Assembly Commission on Women

Coalitions exist between UNO and Sandinista feminists

Potential for feminist gains if it allies itself with grass-roots organizations - especially women’s movements

Summary

Violeta Chamorro was not a feminist yet she became the first woman president in Central America

Chamorro’s government was antifeminist but there was potential for feminist gains within the Commission on Women