http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/et?ac=000154642417163&rtmo=gZwwjSgu&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/99/7/24/wmex24.html

Women deliver a few home truths, By Jeremy McDermott, Latin America Correspondent

MEXICAN housewives went on strike on Thursday, forcing their husbands to do the housework in a protest against male chauvinism.

The 24-hour strike was organised by the Programme for Equal Participation of Women, a Mexico City government agency. Gabriela Delgado, co-ordinator of Mayor Cuauhtemoc Cardenas's women's rights programme, said the protest was "to draw attention to the fact that housework benefits the entire family and society as a whole".

Studies show that Mexican men are more chauvinistic in their attitudes to women than men in any other Latin American country, despite the fact that a growing number of Mexican women now work outside the home. By Thursday evening, calls of support for the strike had poured in from all over Mexico. City officials said they even received a call from a radio station in South Africa.

Carlos Monsivais, a leading Mexican intellectual, attributed women's new assertiveness to their increasing role in industry, the influence of foreign films and music on Mexican culture, the feminist movement and women's desire to begin the new Millennium with greater freedom.

Another indication of growing female assertiveness has been the runaway success of a male strip show inspired by the British film The Full Monty. Since For Women Only began on April 21 it has sold 170,000 tickets, says Alexis Ayala, 33, co-director of the show and one of the dancers. Because men have patronised strip clubs for years, Mr Ayala said, women now thought they could also do it, and do it openly.

Juan Villagomez, 50, said: "I think that the strike is a bad idea, and I am not saying that because I am macho. I believe women have the right to advance, but it is wrong for them to give up their domestic obligations. Housework is among the regulations of marriage."

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), July 24, 1999

Answers

I'm glad that I didn't marry Sergio.

-- Army Girl (aGirl@ag.com), July 24, 1999.

Yup, housework sure does seem to be among the regulations of marriage. I know *I* have a Honey Dew list that never seems to get finished.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), July 24, 1999.

Hell,they should hold a strike on bedroom activities as well!

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 24, 1999.