On gender equity discourses: limits of discourse and cultural resistances

The topic to be studied is the limits of gender equity discourses. In our society we find the generalized persistence of traditional roles with respect to maternity and paternity, the continuity of the formative structures of these same roles, the rejection of multiple types of individuals in the face of feminist discourses and proposals. From the observation of these facts, we can see that there is resistance to the reception and implementation of many aspects of the discourses that promote equality between men and women. That such resistances exist on the part of men would be evident, given that these proposals imply the loss of some of their privileges. But it would seem more difficult to explain resistance to these discourses on the part of women, who would supposedly benefit from this political process. However, it is a fact that many women are also opposed to some of the proposals in this discourse.
As far as the importance of the subject is concerned, I would have several points to highlight:
- In first term, the Colombian society lives a process of transformation within which modernizing speeches try to impose themselves from the institutions on the traditional speeches (and the forms of life associated with them) that resist the change. This type of resistance tends to be presented in the face of policies that are born from the government's offer but that have not been previously socially agreed upon. The issue of gender equality is one of the issues that responds to this logic of opposition, and is therefore a relevant topic within the discipline of Political Science.
- Secondly, demographic variables show a tendency towards an imbalance among the population in terms of gender criteria, and the female population is increasingly outnumbering the male population. But in addition to the numerical superiority, the female population in Colombia has been gaining levels of education and labor action, at a very high speed. This suggests that the problem of equitable gender relations is becoming increasingly urgent.
- The political guarantee of equity or equality between the sexes is not only a political preference of a state, but is also imposed by the international order and the pretensions of universality of human rights. This guarantee is becoming increasingly established as one of the indicators of human development, and therefore constitutes an obligation for all countries that expect recognition within the international order. For this reason, dealing with the limits and resistance it faces fulfills an immediate political function.