“In this house, we want a life free of violence against women.” This logo is painted next to most front doors in town and in compo communities. It is even posted on the side of Suchitoto buses and on a billboard as one enters town.
This week we celebrated International Women’s Day in the
plaza. Many women didn’t have to work on
the day and the Women’s Office bussed people in from the compo to
celebrate. Students presented
well-prepared skits supporting women’s rights and shining light on the rolls of
women in El Salvador. Many leaders from
Suchitoto spoke on the topic and they all signed some official document at the
end. While it is a machismo society, the
Women’s Office of Suchitoto (started small and by Sister Peggy) has come a long
way in promoting women’s rights and supporting women in the area. It is the second strongest in the country!
Heidi told me a story about the strength of women in this
community. She said a group of women
decided that if someone heard any violence against women, they would be
prepared to stop it. One can hear
neighbors easily here because most houses are open-air casas. So, when it happened, the neighbor called her
friends and many women quickly and quietly surrounded the house with pots and
pans, and all at once, began banging on them to draw attention to the violence,
to embarrass the abuser, and to stop the abuse.
It is a truly creative way of immediately addressing the problem.
Side Note: Suchitoto
is a small town but there are communities in the compo that have their own
names but are still considered part of Suchitoto. For example, El Citio is forty-five minutes
away but part of Suchitoto. People from
the communities come to town to buy food at the market (no grocery stores here)
and to celebrate mass on Sundays.
