Value 0.464 (2013) Maternal mortality (per 100,000) 92 (2010) Females over 25 with secondary education 56.5% (2012) | Rank 96th out of 152 Women in parliament 17.0% (2013) Women in labour force 55% (2014) | |
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Women in Venezuela are South American women who live in or are from Venezuela. The roles of Venezuelan women may differ in urban and rural areas. By tradition, women perform household work and they may accept jobs related to domestic services. In rural areas, Venezuelan women share "demanding physical labor" with men. Due to the rise of the beauty pageant industry, Venezuelan women have become highly regarded as objects of beauty and sexuality.
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Gender roles
Although women are legally equal to men in Venezuela, the women of Venezuela live in a patriarchal society where machismo is prevalent. However, in recent years, Venezuelan won essential part of the general Venezuelan workforce outside the confines of the home. The professional women and businesswomen of Venezuela generally "work hard at looking great" and they "dress to impress"; their business dress include wearing feminine attire.
Venezuelan women are characteristically outgoing. Women greet men and each other by giving one kiss on the right cheek. On the other hand, due to Venezuelan men's "public expression of machismo", women in Venezuelan society are "customarily showered with remarks and gazes from men" as a form of displaying admiration of female beauty. Venezuelan women normally ignore such male behavior.
Marriage and the family
Cohabitation is widespread in Venezuela, having increased in past decades. Family law was overhauled in 1982 providing gender equality in marriage.
Violence against women
Violence against women is a serious problem in Venezuela. In 2007, the country enacted Ley Organica Sobre el Derecho de las Mujeres a una Vida Libre de Violencia (Organic Law on the Right of Women to a Life Free of Violence).