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I am concerned about citizenship. If we retire there as we are planning to do, does that mean that I will be a second rate citizen? I have spent a lifetime working for women’s rights. I can’t even imagine myself living where I am not given citizenship until my husband dies. Can we both apply for citizenship? Have the laws changed? It sounds like a wonderful place to live, I like water and temperate temperatures, and the people sound just great, but I am about to change my mind. We will be in Costa Rica for a week, but before I even look for a place to live, I need to know about my status as a woman.
It seems that you are very quick to come to a conclusion that Costa Rica is not for you and if I am not mistaken, from your comments, it sounds like you have never even been here.
Costa Rica is very much a matriarchal society but with all due respect, making a decision to live in a foreign country based on one week stay is not particularly sensible and you will not be able to establish what sort of “status” you might have as a women here in that time either.
If you speak Spanish, your ‘status’ would be much higher than if you do not. I am assuming that you do not speak Spanish.
You do NOT need to be a citizen to live here and getting citizenship here is a very long process, as it is in your country. You need to be a legal “resident”.
Scott Oliver
I have sent you an email. I asked a question and did not receive an answer. I received an insult. I have done my homework on Costa Rica, it peoples, the area, the climate. We would be a part of the community and its peoples. We would not come to exploit the land or its people. I have worked all my life with and for minorities and women’s rights. It would be our final move, permanent. Yes, my Spanish is rusty but my love of people is not. We would come looking for a better life than where we live. Your retort floors me!
You said you received an insult as an answer to your question, but I’ve read your question several times and it certainly does appear that you know very little about Costa Rica or what is needed to live here legally. I’m wondering where you got the information that you would not become a citizen unless your husband died. I’ve never heard of THAT! And no, you cannot apply for citizenship — but you can apply for legal residency either as a pensionado or a rentista. You would have to live here ten years, be fluent in the language, and meet other stringent requirements to even begin application for citizenship. And why would you think you would be a second rate citizen in the first place? It seems that whatever information you gathered about Costa Rica was in fact wrong information, or at the very least, misguided information.
Alot of people seem to confuse Residency with Citizenship. They are 2 different things. I try to explain it to my friends and family in the states as such: For example: John and Jane live in New York, but also own a home in Florida. They will still be a US citizen, but they need to decide where their permanent residency is since there time is split. Whatever tax advantage works for them is usually where they will pick as their permanent residency. I know it is a different and harder process to do in CR, but it seems to satisfy family with that explanation. I have NO reason that I would need to become a citizen, but only a resident. I don’t think anything was meant as an insult. I for one never ever thought that I would be looked at as second class. I was born a woman and will always be one! Smile life’s too short
That was a good analogy about citizenship and residency. I’m still tryiing to figure out why anyone would think they’d become a second class citizen — I think I’ve read every book there is on Costa Rica and I never saw THAT mentioned. Did I miss something. I guess most people think of Third World countries as patriarchal, but as Scott mentioned CR is matriarchal, so I’ll bet women wield a lot of power in CR — at least behind closed doors! LOL
The attorney who got our residency applications processed explained that, once residency is granted, you must spend a total of seven years (not necessarily continuous) in Costa Rica before you can apply for citizenship. In the meantime, a legal resident enjoys almost all the benefits of citizenship except the rights to vote or run for public office.
I can discern no circumstance in which women are treated as less than first class citizens in Costa Rica. Certainly my wife gets treatment in public and private settings equal to what I receive — the same benefits, the same courtesies. Women in Costa Rica retain their “maiden” names and identities.
Women are well represented among the professionals in the community. My guess is that there are as many female attorneys, accountants, physicians and dentists as there are male. If not, it’s close.
There is in Costa Rica, as everywhere else, some incidence of domestic violence, and I’m sure that it is disproportionately directed at women by men. I suppose that’s one facet of the nature of the society, but deplorable as it is, it’s hardly unique to Costa Rica.
On balance I could hardly characterize women as being second class citizens.
Oh my…
Inferiority complex and lack of knowledge about Costa Rica.
Scott… Did the bite hurt very much?
Edited on Apr 18, 2006 22:02
Women are second class citizens in the US. If they weren’t, she wouldn’ve have had to fight for women’s rights. I find that I receive a higher level of respect as a woman in Costa Rica (or Mexico) than I do in the US. That might be an erroneous perception, but I have always felt that way and I never get that feeling in the States.
It’s obvious to everyone who has read your post that you have NOT done your homework on CR and CR society or you wouldn’t be asking the questions you have.
The people of CR are, by nature, non-confrontational folks and also hold women in best esteem. I suggest you do more homework on CR residency and society before you arrive and also take that chip off your shoulder or you’ll be miserable anywhere you go.
By the way, Scott was anything but insulting with regard to your post. If you want helpful info on CR, he’s the guy to talk to, but leave your arrogance behind. He has no use for it nor do the people of CR.
Ben Jackson
bettybryan, I think I can save you a lot of time and frustration. Costa Rica is definitely not for you, unless you make some major changes in the attitude, You come down here and the first thing out of your mouth is your fight for womens rights then yes, you will be put into a catagory by the Tico’s. It won’t be as a second class citizen, it will be one of an ugly arrogant foreigner coming to tell the locals how to live. Your homework is obviously outdated. Women account for more than 50% of university attendance here and hold many positions of power and authority in their corporate structure here as well as in politics. The Tico’s don’t need you coming and telling them how it’s done, or even how you did it where you come from. Might I suggest you try France.
I’m afraid I have to second the foregoing comment. Not only do women appear to do pretty well in Costa Rica, but the last thing that either the Costa Rican people or we gringos need is some gringo coming down here to mess up Tico-gringo relations. The Costa Rican people are warm, patient, tolerant, welcoming and universally helpful. We come down here to reform their society, to correct its shortcomings, and watch that all change.
If you have a remaining mission in life to straighten something out, for Pete’s sake stay in the United States. As compared to Costa Rica, the richness of its problems will make a much more fertile field for your endeavors.
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