Dozens march to demand rights, equal treatment for men

CRHoy.com
The two visible picket signs read, “Jail for alimony is not a solution,” and “Parents divorce, not children.”

November 25^th, 2012 (InsideCostaRica.com) A group of over 60 people marched through Paseo Colon yesterday, with the message “we are functional parents, not ATM machines.”

The march was to demand men’s rights, and to demand the creation of an institute that could provide them with protection and support when assaulted by their partners or facing unfair legal treatment.

The protest began at about 10:00am yesterday in Paseo Colon, and proceeded towards the central Park in San Jose. There, the group spoke about various problems that men face in a family environment.

Eugenia Quesada, director of the foundation “Support to Men Institute” (FUNDIAPHO, in Spanish), said they are demanding the government to create an “Institute for Men.”

“We also want to eliminate jail for not paying alimony and child support, demand serious punishment for noncompliance of visiting hours (for parent-child visits), and we want the domestic violence act to be applied equally to both sexes, and not only to be for women’s protection,” she added.

According to the director of FUNDIAPHO, they receive about 9 men per day requesting legal and psychological counsel.

Yesterday’s march was dedicated to Isai Ramirez, a man who spent 6 months in jail because he was not able to pay 8 million colons (about $16,000) in alimony that he owed his ex wife. According to Quesada, facing jail, he ran and hid in the mountains to avoid arrest.

“We want others to see the situations that many men go through, with domestic violence, child support and alimony payments that they can’t make, as well as other situations,” said Quesada.

Both men and women participated in the march.