For the past weeks Puerto Rico’s social media and news networks have been flooded with the trending topic #perspectivadegénero. The topic became more visible due to the scandalous protest from several Christian groups at Puerto Rico’s Capitol against the Senate Law Project that intends to implement Gender Perspective in Puerto Rico’s educational system’s curriculum last Monday, February 16th.
It has been seen how every time a new law project is carried forward, groups from the opposite side raise their voices in protest tone. This was the case with the various Christian groups protesting in front of Puerto Rico’s Capitol on Monday, February 16th. In an article titled Protestan en contra de educación sobre perspectiva de género from El Nuevo Día’s Monday edition, Escribano Media- pastor of the Iglesia Cruzada Evangélica Misionera states that: “It is a criminal act to give that teachers or children a books addressed to awake the lascivious interest in the minor.” (trans.)
According to Gender Studies specialist Elsa Arroyo, “Gender Perspective inclusion in Puerto Rico’s educational system means that children will learn democratic ideals or attitudes. It will also create a curriculum in which women will be seen from a more equal optic and not as inferior human beings.” The University of Puerto Rico- Mayaguez’s Spanish professor also explained that “Gender perspective is an analysis that permits to figure and to eradicate gender inequity promoted by society. It promotes respect between all human beings, regardless their sex or their sexuality”.
The Law Number 108-2006, which was originally proposed back in 2006 by then Secretary of Education-Rafael Aragunde and the first Women’s Procurator of Puerto Rico- María Dolores Fernós, states that Puerto Rico’s educational system’s curriculum should include gender perspective to promote human rights and respect between all human beings.
María Dolores Fernós visiting the UPRM in March 2007
Dr. Elsa Arroyo said that “this law project has been established since 2006 really, but due to the administration changes at the subsequent elections, it was not implemented. It was actually in 2013 in an amendment project (484) by Senator Mari Tere González López that the law was pushed to be applied.” And what has been matter of discussion from the beginnings of this month have been precisely due to this move by Senator González López and claims from various Puerto Rican feminist groups.