Women's Liberation & Venezueula Gains for Women in the Bolivarian Revolution
By Alison Bodine
“The most significant achievement of women in the revolution is that we now have central and important position in the revolution, as a collective we are now active participants in society, which has allowed us to win many of the battles we have fought, together with our conscience, organization, productivity, and legacy as women.” These are the words of María León, a leading revolutionary politician and feminist in Venezuela, who was speaking to a meeting of women in Lara State in 2017.
Just over 20 years ago Bolivarian revolutionary process in Venezuela began with the election of President Hugo Chávez. Since then, the lives of poor, working and oppressed people in Venezuela have been transformed through tremendous gains in nutrition, housing, healthcare, and education. As protagonists within the revolution, women in Venezuela have made great advances.
In their traditional role as mothers and caretakers, women were at the center of the social fabric of Venezuela when the revolution began, but they were also the most disadvantaged. Therefore, women had the most to gain from advances such as social housing (2.8 million homes built), and free healthcare, education (including 6 million free laptops), school lunches, and childcare. Incorporating women fully into society was one of the first steps taken by President Chávez and the people of Venezuela when they rewrote and then overwhelmingly voted for a new constitution in 1999. This constitution guarantees many rights for women which were previously denied to them – including equal rights and protections under law, while also outlawing discrimination based on “race, sex, creed or social standing.” There is also an article in the constitution unique to Venezuela and the Bolivarian revolutionary process which recognizes the work of women in the house as work. Article 88 reads, in part, “The State guarantees the equality and equitable treatment of men and women in the exercise of the right
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to work. The state recognizes work at home as an economic activity that creates added value and produces social welfare and wealth.” – and with this, women who work as homemakers now receive a pension.
The National Institute of Women, Inamujer, was also founded in 1999. This institution continues to be responsible for many aspects of promoting women’s rights in Venezuela. This includes education campaigns about violence and abuse against women, human trafficking, and sexual and reproductive health and rights, among others. Inamujer also runs programs such as: domestic violence shelters; a free domestic violence hotline; “Mother is the Homeland,” a program for women with cancer (which provides psychological support as well as supplies that facilitate a dignified life during treatment and recovery); and also carries out work to strengthen the relationship between the feminist organizations and women in community movements in Venezuela with the revolutionary government.
Since then, women in Venezuela have continued to make gains. Both through leadership and participation in political and social life, as well as the ongoing development of laws and institutions promoting women’s rights. In 2001, a women’s development bank, Banmujer, was founded to further integrate women into the economic life. In 2007 a groundbreaking law was passed called the Law on the Women’s Right to a Life Free from Violence. This law recognizes 19 forms of violence against women and provides for the legal framework for the prosecution of crimes against women. In 2012, the Labor Law was updated to guarantee 6 months maternity leave and breastfeeding rights.
Women in Venezuela are leaders in the Bolivarian revolutionary process, as the heads of communal councils, social organizations, as well as in the government.
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Top to Bottom: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro meets with Indigenous women in 2014; Fire This Time organizers Alison and Tamara meet Venezuelan Feminist and revolutionary, Maria Leon in July 2019; organizers gather signatures for the "No More Trump" petition campaign in Caracas August 2019.
This includes Delcy Rodriguez, Vice President of Venezuela, Asia Villegas, the Minister of Popular Power for Women and Gender Equality, Aloha Núñez the Minister of Popular Power for Indigenous Peoples, Blanca Eekhout, the Minister of Popular Power for Communes and Social Movements, and Tibisay Lucena Ramírez, Continued on page 6