A compelling article in the recent NewStatesman charts the incongruity in the Venezuelan leader’s stance vis-à–vis women’s rights and his feminist agenda:

Hugo Chávez calls for the empowerment of women through his socialist political project the Bolivarian Revolution. At the World Social Forum in January he announced that “true socialism is feminist”. But women’s rights groups say that the government is dragging its feet on the issue of violence against women. “If the president is really feminist, he should be investing in improving the system for women to access justice.” [Source]

To wit:

• Five women are killed each week in gender-related violent incidents
• Every 15 minutes at least one Venezuelan woman is attacked
• Only 4% of cases of violence against women have been prosecuted
• Only 10% of women report cases of domestic violence
• 40% of women in Latin America and the Caribbean are physically or sexually abused at some point in their lifetime
• Despite calls for women’s shelters in each of Venezuela’s 23 states, only two have been established in the country.

On the positive side since January, 29 new courts have been established with a focus on gender-based violence.

Change is slow, but coming.

Read the full article here.