International Women's Day

“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.