A mass of students and parents from the Colegio Bolívar school in Cochabamba blocked ten young women from attending their first day of classes at this traditionally all-male school. A judge with the Departmental Education Council had ordered the school to enroll ten girls in order to promote women’s equality but the parents of the Bolívar boys have firmly opposed this measure. Juan Villarreal, the leader of the Bolívar parents union said, “This school is going to celebrate its 100th anniversary and it was founded as an all-boys school. We won’t permit them to abuse the rights of so many parents who stood in lines so that their boys could go here. This is an abuse of power.” Villareal met with leaders of women’s rights organizations and a representative of the school district to try to resolve the matter as angry boys chanted outside with signs, barring the girls from entering Colegio Bolívar.
To learn more in Spanish see: http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20120206/padres-y-estudiantes-del-bolivar-niegan-inscripcion-a-10_159452_333088.html
