Women in Chile

I've been working at the "Institute of the Woman" for three weeks now. I spend my Tuesdays and Thursdays doing various activities. Some of it is grunt work, which would be boring in the US but here it's fairly intellectually stimulating as it's all in a different language. The other week I also helped out at a leadership workshop for impoverished middle school age kids who have government scholarships to help them stay in school.

Things I have learned about women and Chile:

• Until 1994 it was legal to abuse your spouse as it was considered a private matter.
• Divorce was only legalized in 2004 in chile.
• A woman's income and the number of children she has DIRECTLY correlate to her level of education. I saw this pattern while putting survey information into a database.
• The Chilean government provides scholarship to poor children if they stay in school so they won't have to drop and get a job.

Things Chile has learned about me:

• I am royal. Quinn, when pronounced by a Spanish speaker is pronounced Queen. In Spanish, Queen is said reina. I am now referred to in the office as Reinita, or little Queen.
• I am looking for a husband. My first week at work I was wrapping up the novel American Wife and they all asked if I was studying.

Bueno Bye from her royal highness!