Leftist candidate Gabriel Boric, who won the Chilean Presidential elections recently, said that his administration will focus on guaranteeing the rights of all women, sexual orientations and indigenous people, and leaving the ‘patriarchal legacy’ behind.
Boric’s partner of Greek origin, feminist activist Irina Karamanos, announced that she would not adopt the title and role of ‘first lady’ with the following words: “The times have changed.”
Leftist and former student leader Gabriel Boric, 35, won the presidential elections and has become Chile’s youngest leader in the country’s history.
Boric, who is known as the student leader who played an important role in the student protests against the education system in Chile in 2011-2012 gave a message of unity, “I will be a president who works for your family’s quality of life every day.”
Boric said in his victory speech, “I will be the president of all Chileans, I will not rule within four walls.” He said he will focus on guaranteeing indigenous rights, the rights of all women, sexual orientations and indigenous people.” Boric promised that Chile’s women will be protagonists in a government that seeks to leave behind once and for all the patriarchal legacy.
Once the most stable economy in Latin America, Chile has one of the world’s largest income gaps, with 1% of the population owning 25% of the country’s wealth, according to the United Nations.
Mr Boric has promised to address this inequality by expanding social rights and reforming Chile’s pension and healthcare systems, as well as reducing the work week from 45 to 40 hours, and boosting green investment.
The president-elect also promised to block a controversial proposed mining project which he said would destroy communities and the national environment.
‘The times have changed’
The partner of the incoming Chilean President is a Greek-Chilean woman named Irina Karamanos; a feminist activist, she considers the term “First Lady” outdated now that “times have changed,” she says.
Karamanos’ words echo the views of Boric himself, who had previously stressed that the role of “First Lady” does not make sense and that “there should be no positions in the state that stem from relations of the President with other persons or are connected with them.”
Karamanos has studied Anthropology and Communication Sciences in Germany, speaks four languages (Spanish, Greek, English and German) and is a member of the soon-to-be ruling coalition, leading the Feminist Front.
She said “Our challenge is to change the constitution, we need a feminist conception of politics,” adding that the new government’s goal is equality, social justice and human rights.
Sources: BBC, Greek Reporter