It is very well-known that many Bolivian girls want to marry foreign men and leave Bolivia, but why do they want to do that?
- Rape and physical abuse are quite common in Bolivia. According to a reliable report in Bolivia, out of 1432 cases of abuse and rape, 66% were committed against ladies, 77.5% were committed by family members or husbands & 13% were committed by strangers. Worse still, the majority of these cases are never taken to court because of the subordinate expectations of ladies in Bolivian culture. Traditionally, a man was legally allowed to physically hit his wife or kids in order to show his position as an authority in the household. Although in 1973, domestic violence has been considered as a reason for divorce or separation, it was not allowed to be brought to court unless the injuries were extremely severe. In 1995, domestic abuse finally became illegal, yet it’s still quite common today because at least 50% of women in Bolivia have been abused. Because there aren’t any domestic violence shelters or women’s support groups, this serious problem still continues in Bolivia in today’s day and age.
- Many beauties in Bolivia are illiterate, so they experience work abuse as well. Because many ladies in Bolivia never went to school, they can only find low-paying jobs like domestic service. Sadly, in Bolivia, a lot of maids are abused by their employers physically, sexually and psychologically. They are also discriminated against by their employers, e.g. some employers don’t allow maids to enter certain rooms or use certain household utensils. Some maids are raped by their employers, but they can’t tell anyone because: 1) if they tell others, men won’t want to marry them due to their bad reputation; 2) if they tell others, they will lose their jobs; 3) if they want to sue their employers, they can’t afford the high costs of legal fees involved; 4) it’s not easy for them to provide proof.
- Indigenous women in Bolivia are discriminated against in almost every way. As indigenous women are considered inferior in this country, opportunities regarding training and education are rarely given to these poor women. Due to lack of awareness about their legal rights as well as strict historical gender roles that are still present today, indigenous women of Bolivia live a very difficult life. In fact, Bolivia has the biggest indigenous population in South America.
- Poor medical services make Bolivian stunners want to leave Bolivia. Every year a large number of women die from childbirth in Bolivia, which is something unusual in western countries. Actually, a lot of babies also die immediately after they were born in this country. Clearly, lack of medical resources forces many Bolivian beauties to leave Bolivia whenever there is an opportunity to do so. It is said that many women in Bolivia don’t have access to contraceptives and have to use rhythm method which is not reliable at all. No wonder the maternal death rate is very high in Bolivia. As a matter of fact, 99% of maternal deaths happen in developing countries and Bolivia is still a developing country in Latin America today.
- Intelligent Bolivian ladieswant their daughters to have a better future elsewhere. In terms of household chores, mothers and daughters are supposed to do all housework in Bolivia. Usually, mothers work as domestic servants, cooks or similar roles so as to financially support the family. When mothers are working, daughters have to help with household tasks and take care of their brothers at home. You might be surprised to know that the legal age for women to get married in Bolivia is 14 years old, which is insane. A recent report even states that 12% of teenage girls between 15 and 19 years of age are married, widowed or divorced in Bolivia. Therefore, as long as a woman from Bolivia has some brains, she will surely want to leave Bolivia so that her children (especially her daughter) will have a better future.
