Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
And, with the advent of better-paved roads, cell coverage, and the increasing presence of
North American and European expats (and the accompanying malls and big box stores),
the Tico family unit is subject to the changing tides of a global society.
The expression
matando la culebra
(meaning 'to be idle', literally 'killing the snake') origin-
ates with
peones
(expendable laborers) from banana plantations. When foremen would
ask what they were doing, the response would be '
¡Matando la culebra!
'
Women in Costa Rica
By the letter of the law, Costa Rica's progressive stance on women's issues makes the
country stand out among its Central American neighbors. A 1974 family code stipulated
equal duties and rights for men and women. Additionally, women can draw up contracts,
assume loans and inherit property. Sexual harassment and sex discrimination are also
against the law, and in 1996 Costa Rica passed a landmark law against domestic violence
that was one of the most progressive in Latin America. With women holding more and
more roles in political, legal, scientific and medical fields, Costa Rica has been home to
some historic firsts: in 1998 both vice presidents (Costa Rica has two) were women, and in
February 2010 Arias Sánchez's former vice president, Laura Chinchilla, became the first
female president.
Still, the picture of sexual equality is much more complicated than the country's brag-
ging rights might suggest. A thriving legal prostitution trade has fueled illicit underground
activities such as child prostitution and the trafficking of women. Despite the cultural rev-
erence for the matriarch (Mother's Day is a national holiday), traditional Latin American
machismo is hardly a thing of the past and antidiscrimination laws are rarely enforced.
Particularly in the countryside, many women maintain traditional societal roles: raising
children, cooking and running the home.
In conjunction with two indigenous women, Paula Palmer wrote
Taking Care of Sibö's
Gifts,
an inspiring account of the intersection between the spiritual and environmental val-
ues of the Bribrí.
