Power and the Church

A major hindrance to the success of feminist goals--especially the fight for the right to vote, but continuing with modern issues--is the Catholic Church. Their vice-like grip over the minds of the people can be stronger, even, than the government's power.

I was discussing this with a fellow American who has lived in Costa Rica for a number of years, and one way that the church's opposition is seen today is in the area of sex education. This is also an example of how the church and the government can be at odds. While the government is advocating sex education in the schools in an effort to curb the growing rate of teenage pregnancies and STDs, the church stands in strong opposition to this. In a previous post, I mentioned the numerous teenage pregnancies I have observed in the city, and the number of young, single girls with children. This is what the government is trying to target by implementing sex education programs, however the church's hold over the country is presenting a problem, just as it did when women were fighting for the right to vote.