A Strength Woman

A Strength Woman

This is a true story about a woman, Rosa who suffered different kinds of abuse and discrimination. Due to the fact that, women were considered like, a tool or even a machine that only served to satisfy men and have babies. On page, seven the term “sex differences” refers on how cultures perceive women and men roles in different ways. Women differ from men biologically because women are able to have babies. Some of the women’s roles are cleaning house, wash clothes, cook and take care of their children. Men are considering as head of family and provider of food and clothes.

The story is about a woman called Rosa Perez. I met Rosa during my summer vacations. My husband and I went to Rosarito to spend good time and to visit his best friend Mario. Mario and his family organized a trip to an excited place called “Las Canadas”. During the trip, I had the opportunity to talk to Rosa (Mario’s mother) and knew more about her. We started our conversation talking about common things like where you born? How long have you been living here? Children, etc. After that, she started to narrate her story. While she was narrating her story, I was paying attention to every detail she was mention. Her life was full of tragedies that catch my attention.

Rosa born in Tepic Nayarit Mexico, but she moved to Rosarito when she got married. She is the youngest member of a family of ten. She was living in a farm with her siblings, mother and father. Her father was an alcoholic man who usually beat her mom. She grow up thinking that the relation between her parents was normal. At the age of thirteen, a man who was fifteen years older kidnapped Rosa. He was her neighbor; he lived across Rosa’s house. His name was Pedro and was a single man who lived alone. First, this man watched Rosa every day and sometimes he even followed her while she went to school. One day when Rosa was returning from school, Pedro who was riding on his horse took her by force and carried her to an old building where he raped her several times. Their parents were looking for her all day. When they found her, they told her that she should get married with that man because she slept with him and lost her virginity. In those days, being virgin was very important and girls who lost their virginity lost the opportunity of getting married.

In addition, any man who liked a woman or girl could take her without her consent (women did not have the right to choose their partner). She ended up marrying with him. Rosa suffered a lot with Pedro because he was always hitting her and abusing her emotionally. On pgs. 322-340, “Women who are exposed to stressful events (rape, sexual harassment, spousal abuse, sex discrimination etc.) are more susceptible to suffer depression.” Women, who are put down most of the time, feel depressed and compare their selves to machines because they need to be ready to satisfy their men. Rosa had a very depressive mood; several times, she attempted suicide with her life. She was tired and she did not want to continue living this way. Even though, Rosa felt very sad and used by this man, she continued living with him because she did not have another choice. She could not return to her parent’s house because they did not accept her at home. Rosa felt angry and frustrated because she did not like this man. When Rosa was pregnant, her husband becomes less abusive, so he stopped beating her.

Rosa had seven children five boys and two girls. She could not study or work because her husband was very possessive and he did not allow her to do what she wanted. He usually was telling her “your obligation is to stay at home and take care of your children” she added. She obeyed him most of the time because she felt afraid of him. Her children grew up observing the way that their father was behaving with their mother, so when they got married they behaved the same way as their father. Rosa stated that his son Mario was an abusive husband and father, and usually