Stereotypically Peace Corps

Under the scorching mid-morning sun, the other competitors and I lined up in front of the church in El Pangui. After months of training, I was finally going to race in Zamora-Chinchipe. I was, of course, quite excited in spite of the less-than-desirable conditions including muddy and uneven roads and temperatures that soared to well over 100 degrees.

As we stood waiting for the race to begin, roughly 2 ½ hours later than scheduled, the coordinators madde an announcement. Due to the weather conditions, the women's race was being shortened to roughly 7 kilometers as opposed to about 9 kilometers. The men would still run the full route, he explained, but the women, being weaker, could reasonably only be expected to do six loops through the Amazonian city of about 6,000.

This announcement shouldn't have been too surprising; rural Ecuadorian communities are often extremely machista and women are only beginning to enjoy significant athletic opportunities. Moreover, even in the United States, a country that prides itself on gender “equality,” female cross country athletes in the NCAA run less than their male counterparts, Yet, I could not believe it.

There was no time to complain, however. Within seconds, the race had begun and a herd of runners began charging through the town. By the end of the first loop, I had opened a huge gap on the other women and was running with a pack of male runners. For the next five laps, I wove amongst them while listening to spectators commenting on the “impossible”--a woman running amongst the men.

After completing the six laps, I crossed the finish line in first place in the women's competition. To my great annoyance, the race officials chose to comment on my “beautiful eyes” as opposed to my performance in the race when they greeted me after I won. Why comment on my achievements when you can discuss my appearance? After all, in the words of a fellow female PCV, some Ecuadorians seem to believe that women are only here for men's viewing pleasure.

As my anger mounted, I was suddenly swarmed by children and teenagers hoping to congratulate me. Not only did they comment on a job well done, but many mentioned that they could not believe that a woman could run with the men. It was, in seemed, almost unfathomable to them. Yet, they had just seen it. They had to believe it in spite of the machista values and stereotypes that are all too common in many rural communities.

Ultimately, will it matter? Probably not. But, being foolishly optimistic, I like to think that maybe a few of the girls will start training and stop listening to local values that put far too much emphasis on traditional gender roles and not enough emphasis on pursuing your goals and doing what you love whether it falls within traditional male or females spheres.