Arriving to my site on the northern
coast of Peru, I was no stranger to Latin American culture: the good, the bad,
and the machismo. It did not take long for me to witness the negative impacts
of machismo culture in the lives of my students and their families. Male
dominance and power is manifested in the division of household labor,
decision-making, personal expression, and overall freedom and liberty for the
women. Perhaps the most frustrating and extreme example of machismo in my
community is domestic violence. Rumors of men abusing their wives and children
are a daily occurrence in my volunteer life. However, the men are not the only
aggressors; I overhear mothers screaming obscenities and calling their children
terrible names. My students tell me horror stories about parents pulling their
hair until they bleed and plastic pitchers hurled at their heads. My biggest
challenge as a Peace Corps volunteer is watching my beloved community members
hurt and batter each other physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
After
witnessing and observing these disturbing behaviors, I struggled to understand
how and why people can hurt the people they love. I came to understand that for
some families, these occurrences are generational and considered normal. Children
observe their mothers endure physical and emotional abuse doled out by their
father, and they do the same with their own families later in life, becoming
either aggressors or victims. For lack of better instruction and example, abuse
is considered to be an effective form of discipline. Children are subjected to
violence when they misbehave or fail to succeed in school. Finally, alcoholism
is rampant among men and it is not uncommon for spouses to arrive home and
become violent after a long afternoon and night of drinking.
I
refused to stand by and watch my students and their families suffer; I decided
to dedicate my work for the month of November to awareness and prevention of
domestic violence. My community
partner, a professor from the local high school, and I worked with the mayor of
the municipality, who agreed to fund and host a campaign against domestic
violence. We began with a parent
workshop led by a psychologist and lawyer, who described the psychological and
legal consequences of domestic violence, and possible solutions and treatment.
The high school students also received workshops, and participated in an art
contest to create informational pamphlets to pass out during the final town
parade. We took advantage of the annual town fair and the students performed
domestic violence-themed skits with the entire town in attendance. My community
counterpart and I wrote and performed four “episodes” over the town
loudspeakers. Finally, the students and staff from the high school, staff from
the health posts, and town officials gathered for a town parade, touting
posters, banners, and loudspeakers demanding an end to domestic violence and
peace and harmony among families and community members.
I
consider this project to be one of my most successful endeavors during my Peace
Corps service. For my students that are victims of domestic violence, it was an
empowering experience because they were able to express their frustration and
speak out against the aggression. Surveys and commentary indicate that people
are better informed and are less afraid to expose and draw attention to cases
of domestic abuse. Multiple women and students have requested information and
advice on how to denounce the aggressors in their household. Finally, I was
amazed at the level of support received from the community members and town
officials to complete this project; ultimately, it must be the community who
will demand change and make domestic violence unacceptable.
