Chile

The Republic of Chile has one of the lowest birthrates in South America; contraceptive use is high. Prenatal care is available at public hospitals and private clinics, and mothers are eligible for maternity benefits and breastfeeding breaks. Divorce was illegal until 2004 and remains rare, but marriage rates are decreasing and traditional gender roles are changing. The Catholic Church has influenced opposition to divorce and abortion. Thirty-six percent of Chileans complete secondary school. Women's involvement in formal employment increased during and continued after the Pinochet era.

The gopulation growth in Chile has been stable since the 1970s. Chilean women have an average of 1.95 children, compared to 5.3 in 1960. The low birthrate is attributed to increasing prosperity and urbanization. Maternity leave is available six weeks prior to and 12 weeks following childbirth. Mothers may leave work to breastfeed and to care for an ill infant under age 1.

Due to the influence of the Catholic Church, divorce is legally difficult to obtain and was illegal until 2004. As a result, Chile has one of the lowest divorce rates in the Western Hemisphere. Marriage rates are decreasing, and many children are born outside of marriage. Acceptance of nonformal unions is increasing.

Chile is comprised mostly of Spanish immigrants; most Chileans are of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent. Traditional gender roles are changing with women's increased education and labor participation, although household responsibilities fall largely on women. A culture of Marianismo, women as selfless mothers, supports traditional gender roles. Men are considered head of the household, although growing numbers of families are female-headed (30 percent in 2002).

Many Catholics accept premarital sex despite strong Church disapproval, and 81 percent accept usage of some form of birth control, which is widespread and available without a prescription. Most national family planning programs target mothers of at least one child or those who can pay. Access to contraception is more difficult for younger and poorer women. Abortion is illegal, but not uncommon; Chile's abortion rate is one of the highest in South America. Many women are familiar with infusions made from plant products believed to induce abortion. Maternity care is available at private clinics and public hospitals, where low-income and poor women receive free care. All births are attended by skilled personnel.

More than 36 percent of men and women completed secondary school. In 2000, 47.2 percent of students accepted into universities were women.

The regime of General Augusto Pinochet left more than 3,000 dead and missing in Chile, and many mothers became activists for the disappeared. During and after the Pinochet era (1973–89), women's involvement in formal economic activity increased to the point where women comprised more than half the workforce. The expectation under the Minimum Employment Program and the Occupational Program for Heads of Households was employment for all working-age family members, including [Page 211]mothers. The 1993 return to democracy and opening of new international markets meant even greater access for women to the economic world.

Famous Chilean mother Isabel Allende has had books translated into 27 languages. A memoir, Paula, focused on her daughter's illness and death. Michelle Bachelet, pediatrician and mother of three, was elected the first female president of Chile in 2006.

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