In Mexico, macho men still dominate people’s love lives. In the traditional world view of many men, women should defer to men’s will in every respect. But the younger generation is starting to fight back, with success.
Law graduate Nancy Ortiz has emancipated herself from tradition and chosen a different path as a single mother. Her father could not understand her choice, fearing that his daughter could lose her value as a woman.
Yet as the example of her aunt Adelaida shows, marriage is not always the answer.
As it is for so many other women in Mexico, Adelaida’s husband routinely cheats on her. He has fathered children with the second woman in his life and even wanted Adelaida to meet them. The ‘big’ and the ‘little’ house, as they call it in Mexico. The man’s role is understood as that of macho, womanizer, and breadwinner.
Jaime Sainz also used to cheat on his wife and get into fights with his neighbors, but now he wants to change his ways. With the help of therapist Ricardo Ayllon, he is undergoing ‘macho therapy’ to try and escape the old role model still prevalent in many Mexican minds. However, his son doubts whether the older generation is truly ready to break away from its macho ideal.
Daniel Acuna and Jenifer Uriarte are a young couple in love and living in Mexico City. Although life there is modern, there is nowhere they can spend time alone, as both live with their parents. Like many Mexicans, they make use of a love hotels, some of which were designed and built especially for lovers to enjoy some intimate time together.
Source: DW
