Women in Ecuador: the required scapegoat

Abstract

Introduction. The concept of a scapegoat is a broad concept to adopt since it is associated with the unknown or something evil that must be eradicated through coercion, because it is perceived as a threat. However, the main idea of the concept of scapegoat is that it produces an existential fear, which is extrapolated as a basis for the construction of national identity. A scapegoat is required to build the warm circles in the Nation-State, meaning that the concepts threat and identity are mutually constitutive and not exclusive. In Ecuador, one of the social groups that have historically been the most coerced are women. Objective & Methodology. This qualitative article will argue that cisgender women in Ecuador are currently used as the scapegoat for the construction of a national identity. Results. During the COVID 19 pandemic, coercion towards cisgender women increased significantly despite the fact that there are public policies that sanction violence against women nationally. Discussion & Conclusions. On the other hand, the article explores how society in Ecuador sanctions cisgender women, the scapegoats, through social standards/roles which foster the construction of national identity. Ecuador has parity and protection laws in force that have not yet given the expected results, such as equal representation in national politics, the reduction of violence against women, and even female unemployment during and after the pandemic. All this occurs because the scapegoat is not only the cause of the problems but they are also the solution to the problem of society. Hence, the need to maintain a sustainable violence towards women which is seen in the poor institutionalization of female protection laws.