South America

Divorce For Not Doing Dishes.  [Colombia] Failure to help with the kids and the dishes could soon be grounds for divorce in Colombia, if a proposed law gets passed. 
Chilean Woman Pursues Presidency.  [Chile] Chile is a step closer to having its first female president after Michelle Bachelet was officially endorsed by the powerful Christian Democrats Party.  Opinions polls show she has a big lead over her two main rivals, who are both men from the conservative side.  Chileans will vote in December.  There is a growing expectation that Ms Bachelet, who is a socialist and sole parent, will break political tradition and win.
Latina Liftoff.  [Latin America] From Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego, women are raising their political profile and breaking new ground.  Since 1991, 11 countries have enacted laws requiring political parties to nominate a minimum percentage of female candidates for legislative office, and in some instances the number of women lawmakers doubled between 1997 and 1999.  A 12th nation, Colombia, passed a law in 2000 requiring that women occupy at least 30 percent of appointed decision-making posts in the executive branch.  This year's key midterm congressional elections in Argentina will be dominated by the showdown for Senate seats between the nation's current First Lady, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, and her immediate predecessor, Hilda (Chiche) Duhalde, in populous Buenos Aires province.  "In the past 10 years there has been a tremendous increase in the number of women in positions of power, not just running for office but serving in ministries and as elected legislators," says Mala Htun, a political scientist at the New School for Social Research in New York who has written extensively about the subject.  "It's opening up opportunities to women who are quite prepared and competent."

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