6 minute read
Gender PersPeCtIve In sChools
Manuel Quilichini, Esq.
Lawyer
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One step forward, ten steps back
Gender violence is ever present in Puerto Rico. A day does not go by without a headline reporting violence against women, usually at the hands of their male partners. Years ago, activists raised their collective voices, warning that gender violence would continue and grow worse without effective government action.
The government’s response, typical of Macondo, USA (Puerto Rico), was to enact several laws seeking to protect women against the domestic and gender violence epidemic that wantonly takes the lives of those women and others. Lawmakers broadened definitions, made it easy to file criminal charges, and toughened criminal sanctions. And what do we have to show for this? Frankly, very little. You see, laws do not prevent violence, and harsh penalties do not dissuade potential perpetrators.
Puerto Rico is a land of laws. Every year the legislature approves hundreds of laws, seeking to remedy a problem or situation. Some just seek to fatten a legislator’s list of accomplishments but we pay little attention to the impact of this legislation if any. What good is a law if there is no enforcement? We have seen this happen with anti-corruption legislation that has not stemmed the tide of corrupt government officials.
For some time, experts in gender issues have suggested a longterm solution to gender violence, discrimination, and overall inequality: education. It is such an effective solution that it can also be used to remedy other types of discrimination, such as sexual orientation and sexual preferences. But a segment of our society cringes at the possibility that we teach gender equality in our schools, under the erroneous view that this curriculum will be used to teach sex or that it will force upon young minds homosexuality and other sexual evils.
“Perspectiva de género,” or gender analysis, has nothing to do with sex education of any kind. It is a tool to educate students on the differences between genders and, most importantly, to teach them to respect these differences. It creates an awareness of the issues faced by each gender, including violence, discrimination, and inequality in all aspects of life. It seeks to create empathy and understanding between genders, to eradicate the evils created by a male-dominated society. To be effective, it must also teach understanding and respect for other groups such as the LGTBTT+. Discrimination is wrong, no matter who is on the receiving end.
Unfortunately, good causes are sabotaged by politics and politicians, and the gender analysis curriculum is its latest victim. The Department of Education recently declared that it was abandoning the perspective analysis curriculum in favor of a new curriculum that will focus on 7 issues: equality and respect among human beings; environmental and ecological awareness; cultural and intercultural identity; innovation and entrepreneurship; wellness; and information technology and communication. An overarching curriculum on gender analysis focused on gender acceptance and equality is now relegated to a watered-down and limited civics class on equality and respect among human beings.
A gender-centered well-educated citizen is one without bigotry, respectful of others, including their rights and their needs. It leads to a gentler society tolerant of the differences of its constituents, no matter how different they are from what some may call “normal” people. We need to learn that there is a new normal, but few will embrace this philosophy because many generations are conditioned to think that things are black or white and that males are entitled to dominate the world we live in. We must start with our youth, change their view of the world, and make it more inclusive and accepting of others.
The recent actions by the Department of Education suggest that its leaders succumbed to the pressures of the religious factions that fail to understand the benefits and risks of repudiating a gender analysis education. We have indeed taken 10 steps back and we will continue to suffer violence against all non-males as long as our children continue to grow in an intolerant male-focused, binary society.
In fact,
MC entered into an agreement with La Placita Business Association to help 62 businesses by paying for their costs for reopening after the pandemic.
Mastercard develops programs to promote SMBs
Resources are allocated directly to small and medium businesses
Juan A. Hernández, The Weekly Journal
Financial services giant Mastercard has redirected multimillion dollar resources to promote and improve small and medium size businesses (SMBs) globally, and particularly in Latin America, and Puerto Rico.
“We saw it as part of our duty to help out SMBs with this investment since they are a significant part our own business, as well as their own communities,” said José Vargas, Mastercard’s General Manager for Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, while pointing out they generate more than 90% of the jobs.
The Mastercard executive mentioned that as part of the company’s commitment to jump start SMBs in Puerto Rico, it entered into an agreement with the La Placita Bossiness Association to help 62 businesses by paying for their costs of reopening after the pandemic while also launching a series of offers with them.
“Part of the programs included training business owners and their staff in the use of contactless technology thru MC’s SMB’s accelerator. In the last two years we have trained more than 400 people through this program,” Vargas said. “We also hold contests among cashiers for the most contactless transactions made.”
As part of the company’s initiatives, Mastercard also launched its global platform “Priceless,” which is used by many cardholders to take advantage of the multiple offers available to them while they travel. “Puerto Rico was the first market in the Caribbean with this platform, which, as commerce restarted and businesses started reopening after the pandemic, also became a tool to promote tourism,” Vargas said. “We started with some special activations in businesses in Old San Juan to promote customers visits to them”.
Vargas pointed out that, while the company’s program are the same for everyone, “every region is taking a different approach to the initiatives.”
As cardholders turned to online shopping during the pandemic, MC made some changes in the benefits offered to its customers. In the case of those customers who were also SMBs, some special benefits were designed. Among those is the Easy Savings program, which offers discounts in purchases related to business operations,
restaurants, travel, and car rentals.
For customers/business owners that have not gone digital yet, MC develop the “Digital Allies” platform. For them, the path to cyberspace is eased through social networks and digital campaigns before being helped in developing an online business platform. Another such benefit is the “Risk Recon” program, a cyber advisory platform for business sites that assesses possible weaknesses, so the customer can avoid being hacked.
Aside from the activities and events MC develops for its customers and businesses, the company also sponsors several charitable events. Earlier this month MC sponsored the Taste Food Fest at Plaza Las Americas
The event included a whiskey tasting and a hands-on cocktails workshop where Mastercard customers and the general public donating to a group of not for profit organizations could learn how to prepare their own modern cocktails. Donations were channel thru MC’s “Priceless Planet” social responsibility program.
“We at Mastercard strive to be good global citizens, always looking for a way we can help,” said Vargas.
