How does gender influence how people of color in the dominican republic are treated?

Machismo is the exaltation of all that is “macho” and is rampant in the Dominican Republic. Interestingly enough, machismo ≠ anti-feminism. As I mentioned above, strides are being made in the direction of improving and protecting the rights of women. Although machismo does not label the woman as inferior, it defines the man as superior. Gender roles in the Dominican Republic designate males as the financial providers and decision-makers, while women are seen as the nurturers and caretakers of the home. (This is still the case, despite the fact that many Dominican women are also employed and help to support their families financially.) Machistas believe that to be macho you have to be as masculine as possible (often interpreted as the opposite of feminine). To quote a male Dominican friend of mine, whose sentiments accurately reflect this culture, “Women are like flowers: beautiful and weak, needing protection.” The context of this quotation? Why women should be housewives instead of working. The argument I have heard repeated is that women’s hearts are “weaker” than men’s; we are too “emotional.” After watching Lucy, another male Dominican friend commented, “That’s why women shouldn’t be allowed to carry weapons,” because they are “too emotional and therefore irrational.”