As women's roles expand in Bolivian politics, so do attacks
ACHOCALLA, Bolivia (AP) - Few countries in the world have advanced so quickly toward gender parity in politics as has Bolivia, where women now hold almost half the seats in congress and laws mandate gender equality at lower levels too.
But some male Bolivian politicians have resisted the change, and women's rights activists report a sharp increase in violence against female politicians as their numbers rise.
Mary de la Cruz, a city councilwoman in a town on the outskirts of La Paz, said the town's mayor accosted her as she walked with colleagues through a plaza in Achocalla and punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground. She said he was apparently angry she had complained of irregularities in public works contracts.
In this June 30, 2018 photo, Councilwoman Marcela Huanca cries as she relates the bullying she suffered from the mayor and his family, in Escoma, Bolivia. The South American country has a high percentage of women in municipal positions, and the world's second-highest number of women in parliament, according to the United Nations. But reports of political violence against women are on the rise. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
De la Cruz filed a complaint, but so far authorities have taken no action against Mayor Damaso Ninaja, who has denied punching the councilwoman, saying she merely fell.
"It hasn't been easy for me to get where I am," said de la Cruz, who complained the mayor also had been spreading false rumors about her sex life. "And the man thinks that we are inferior creatures, that a punch isn't anything, that's its normal."
Bolivia began addressing gender imbalance in politics in 1997 with a law that at least 30 percent of candidates for many races be women. The Andean nation subsequently refined the laws to guarantee parity.
A decade ago, women held only 4 percent of posts in municipal assemblies. By 2015, they held 50 percent - a group that included De la Cruz, 38.
But women's rising profile "has also led to problems related to discrimination, manipulation and violence," a report by UN Women said.
Prosecutors say they have received 36 complaints of harassment and political violence against women so far this year. But electoral officials say they've received 60 such complaints - six times the number last year. And the Councilwomen's Association of Bolivia says it has registered 90 complaints.
Some women say they wound up dropping their complaints when a male-dominated legal system showed little interest. On the other hand, some courts have shown remarkable zeal in prosecuting women.
Monica Paye, was arrested and suspended from her position as councilwoman in the La Paz-area municipality of Callapa in May when officials accused her of losing two city-owned laptop computers, even though she offered to replace them. Paye, 34, who has remained under house arrest, had feuded with the mayor over public works contrasts in the town.
Awareness of violence against female politicians in Bolivia was raised by the 2012 killing of Ancoirames town councilwoman Juana Quispe, whose body was found with signs of violence on the banks of a river in La Paz.
Quispe's family accused then-Mayor Felix Huanca and three councilmen, whom they accused of persecuting Quispe for nearly two years because of her allegations of corruption. Relatives said Quispe had been threatened in efforts to force her from her job and at one time was beaten and dragged through a town square.
Quispe's death led to passage of a law against harassment and violence against women in public office, a law that has been held up as a model for other nations, said Carolina Taborga, UN Women representative in Bolivia. Perpetrators can be punished with up to five years in prison.
But Quispe's killing remains unsolved even as attacks on female politicians have increased.
"The law is very nice, but it's not working," said De la Cruz, who is also the mother of three children and a potato and lettuce farmer. "We're still suffering harassment and violence."
Paye said the pressure is especially strong against women in the countryside. She said pressures include false allegations of infidelity and withholding of salaries, as well as physical violence.
In some elections, candidates are required to have a running mate or alternate of the opposite sex. If a woman wins, sometimes her male alternate will seek to oust her to take power.
Sometimes women come under attack even from a male politician's family or friends.
Escoma town Councilwoman Marcela Mamani Huanca had accused the mayor of corruption shortly before he died in a car crash. His family blamed her for the death.
"Right after the mayor's wake, his sister and brother dragged me by the hair in the town square in front of my children," said Huanca, a 35-year-old butcher.
Gender-based political violence is seen throughout Latin America, particularly in Mexico, where 19 female candidates were killed and 118 were attacked ahead of the July elections. Brazilians were shocked at this year's murder of Rio de Janeiro councilwoman Marielle Franco, who was known for outspokenness against police violence. And in Peru, electoral authorities estimate that four of every 10 female candidates are victims of political harassment and if elected, two out every five women suffer political violence.
"Men think that women take on political positions to take away their jobs," said UN Women's Taborga. "This only expresses the male-chauvinistic and patriarchal mentality that persists in the organizations that that these men represent."
In this June 23, 2018 photo, Councilwoman Mary de la Cruz holds a photo showing the bruises caused by a male colleague who punched her in the face, in Achocalla, Bolivia. De la Cruz says the mayor of Achocalla, Damaso Ninaja, hit her after she pointed out irregularities in his handling of public work contracts. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this June 23, 2018 photo, Councilwoman Mary de la Cruz poses for a picture in Achocalla, Bolivia. De la Cruz beams with pride wearing her councilwoman's sash in a municipality neighboring Bolivia's capital. But then she will tear up recalling how a male colleague recently punched her in the face. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this June 23, 2018 photo, Councilwoman Mary de la Cruz speaks during an interview, in Achocalla, Bolivia. De la Cruz says the mayor of Achocalla, Damaso Ninaja, hit her after she pointed out irregularities in his handling of public work contracts. She says that he reeked of alcohol when he knocked her to the ground. Before the attack, she says Ninaja had been spreading false rumors that she was unfaithful to her partner. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this June 23, 2018 photo, Councilwoman Mary de la Cruz cries as she recalls the bullying and violence she suffered from the from the mayor, during an interview in Achocalla, Bolivia. "The mayor is still free. It hurts my dignity," she said. "Justice must be served."(AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this July 25, 2018 photo, Batallas Councilwoman Lidia Maria Quispe, from second left, Council Vice President Sonia Alanoca Tito and Council President Rosa Condori Cadena, attend a council meeting in Batallas, Bolivia. Bolivia began addressing gender imbalance in politics in 1997 with a law imposing a 30 percent quota for women on candidates' lists for many elections. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this June 29, 2018 photo, Callapa Councilwoman Monica Paye, who is under house arrest, sits next to her official sashes, in La Paz, Bolivia. Paye, was suspended from her position in May without pay, and is now under house arrest after she was accused of losing two laptop computers. But she says that the accusations are meant to keep her from office because she dared to question the mayor of her municipality about the loss of public contracts. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this June 29, 2018 photo, Callapa Councilwoman Monica Paye, who is under house arrest, poses for a photo in La Paz, Bolivia. The 34-year-old said that women in politics suffer other types of pressures to set them aside, including false accusations of infidelity, withholding the payment of their salaries and physical violence. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this July 25, 2018 photo, an Aymara woman enters the mayor's office in Batallas, Bolivia. In some elections, men are required to run with a female alternate, and vice versa. If a woman holds an elected office sometimes her male alternate will seek to oust her to take power. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this June 30, 2018 photo, Escoma Councilwoman Marcela Huanca poses for a photo wearing her official sash, in Escoma, Bolivia. Huanca reported the mayor of her town of Escoma for corruption. After she filed the complaint, the mayor died in a car crash. The family of the mayor blamed her for his death and attacked her. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this July 25, 2018 photo, Batallas Councilwoman Lidia Maria Quispe poses for photo wearing her official sash, in Batallas, Bolivia. Quispe was among three councilwomen in Batallas who were attacked by several people, including the former president of the council, who was suspended for irregularities during his time in office. Quispe says she felt shame and pain. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this July 18, 2018 photo, Sica Sica Councilwoman Damiana Condori, who said she gave up her position due to harassment from the male alternate, poses for a photo in Sica Sica, Bolivia. Record numbers of women are holding public office, more than half its legislators are women but these gains are being accompanied by rising violence against female office-holders. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
In this June 30, 2018 photo, Councilwoman Marcela Huanca relates the bullying she suffered from the mayor and his family, in Escoma, Bolivia. After she filed the complaint, the mayor died in a car crash. The family of the mayor blamed her for his death and attacked her. "Right after the mayor's wake, his sister and brother dragged me by the hair in the town square in front of my children," said Huanca. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
