“Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.”. Virginia Wolf
One of the first obstacles encountered by those who begin to delve into gender issues to understand today's social movements is the feminist epistemology. This series of concepts with great theoretical weight can become a source of confusion, so it is important to take into account the historical and social origin what is being talked about. Although the definition of these terms is subjective, they are necessary to name aspects of reality from a point of view that, when taking into account women's rights and needs, claim your role in society.
Therefore, to understand the contemporary struggle in this region, it is necessary to take as a reference the definition of a Latin American feminist woman who specializes in the subject. In this case, Marcela Lagarde, Mexican politician, anthropologist and researcher defines the feminism in his article «“Enmity and sisterhood: towards a new feminist culture”, published in 1992, as a sociocultural order which encompasses a criticism of women, society, dominant cultures and is aimed at the construction of spaces that do not merge with oppression in a generic, classist or racist way.
The term feminism dates back to the Middle Ages, when it was used in the medical field to refer to a disorder resulting from tuberculosis that affected man's virility and made them susceptible to a process of feminization; which is why it was used in a misogynistic way by writers such as Alexandre Dumas. However, initially the use of this term with political and social connotations was attributed to the 19th century French utopian socialist philosopher, Charles Fourier, who considered that emancipation of women It was a fundamental part of the class struggle to achieve social progress.
However, this historical precision is considered incorrect because, later, feminists such as the French writer Hubertine Auclert (1848-1914) used the term more accurately. Reference was made to the fight for women's rights carried out in the XNUMXth century by Mary Wollstonecraft and Olympia de Gouges, whose ideas of civil equality after the French Revolution characterized the first wave of feminism.
View: This is how the waves of feminism have been from the 18th century to the present day
In the mid-19th century and early 20th century, the socialist feminism as a theoretical current of the second wave of feminism, which took place due to the increasing participation of women in working life during the First World War. It was promoted by women like Clara Zetkin, Rosa Luxemburg and Alexandra Kollontai, socialist philosophers who argued that the oppression of women was the result of capitalism and patriarchy as systems that dominated the public and private sphere.
These are two essential terms when talking about oppression of women. Capitalism is the economic system that is characterized by the privatization of the means of production and the incessant accumulation of capital. Patriarchy is the social system in which men represent and exercise the central power of domination. Therefore, the combination of both generates a society in which politics and economics make up a hierarchical structure that oppresses based on gender.0
View: Capitalism and patriarchy: the double inequality of women
The context of the region
The current of socialist feminism, although it has gone through a series of restructurings, remains valid and today is increasingly relevant in Latin American society. Although we can talk about feminism in Latin America since the 17th century with Juana de Asbaje (Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz), a New Spanish writer who advocated for the education of women, the political, social and cultural influence of these ideals is not would be reflected until the 20th century, in the context of the third wave feminist and the generational awakening of 1968.
The common denominator among the countries of Latin America is the colonizing process, from which the patriarchal and religious structure that prevails to this day. However, this is not the only aspect they share; Drug trafficking is a problem directly related to violence in this region. However, it is important to point out that, although the number of murders corresponds to a greater extent to men, the causes of crimes committed against women differ significantly.
The United Nations (UN) defines the femicide as a “murder of a woman for the fact of being one, the end of continuous violence and the most violent manifestation of patriarchal society”. In 2012, Mexico became the first country to criminalize the crime of femicide in its Federal Penal Code. Due to the visibility attracted by the cases of feminicide that have taken place in Ciudad Juárez (Chihuahua) since 1993, one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
View: The culture of feminicide in Ciudad Juárez, 1993-1999
When the interference of the Church in political life is added to such a high rate of violence, we arrive at cases such as those of El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, where the interruption of pregnancy is completely criminalized even under the most basic causes for the physical and emotional well-being of women. This very arbitrary legislative norm causes States to incur a series of human rights violations.
In this context, it is easier to understand the radicality of Latin American feminism, which is often associated with socialist feminism, because both support a sexual revolution that eradicates gender violence. Nevertheless, Radical feminism and socialist feminism differ in terms of attributing, to a greater or lesser extent, the source of oppression towards women.; The first attributes it mainly to patriarchy and the second to the capitalist base in which this patriarchal system takes place.
However, there are other types of feminisms in the region, among the main ones; the liberal, which seeks equal rights between men and women; the abolitionist, which speaks out against the commodification of the female body; transfeminism, which supports the self-designation of identity, whether in biological or psychological terms; ecofeminism, which compares the exploitation of the land with that of women; and the intersectional, which to achieve inclusion takes into account the different axes that encompass female oppression (race, social class, etc.).
Although the reconfiguration of the feminist movement could appear to be a decline in clear objectives, these currents have managed to unify in the most basic principles for the well-being of women. This is reflected in the growing number of feminist groups, which have repeatedly organized exhibitions of social discontent. The hate crimes and constant harassment reflect a reality in which Latin American women are still victims of social, cultural, political and economic oppression; Therefore, they see the need to raise their voices to raise awareness in the State and society.
The feminist agenda
Economist
Despite labor reforms that guarantee equal pay between men and women, the reality is that gender bias continues in this area. According to the report “The Global Gender Gap Report 2020” published by the World Economic Forum, the Latin American countries with the largest gender pay gap worldwide are Costa Rica (rank no. 13), Colombia (no. 22), Mexico (no. 25) and Argentina (no. 30).
Also, the reproductive work remains an underrepresented aspect in the economic policies of countries. Parenting and taking care of the home are activities carried out to a greater extent by women, and despite this, it is an invisible aspect of the economy. This is when the role of capitalism comes into play again, for which it is essential that this situation continues; It benefits from the intangible value that these activities generate and, in this way, the cycle of capital accumulation is perpetuated.
In Mexico, the initiative #ADayWithoutWomen called on the female population to cease work and academic activities the day after the mega-march for International Women's Day. The national strike on March 9, 2020 was something never seen in Latin America; showed the impact of the disappearance of women in social and economic terms. According to an article published by The Economist, it is estimated that Mexican women contribute 23,200 billion pesos to the economy, to which 11,317 million are added for unpaid activities.
This measure was proposed by feminist groups with the intention of demonstrating that the State must take forceful actions against the ten women who die every day in Mexico to prevent this from becoming a problem for the country's economy. However, even though the economic losses on March 9 exceeded expectations and had a 37,000 million pesos, these losses are symbolic compared to the thousands of femicides annually.
Street harassment and domestic violence
Street harassment is one of the main types of gender violence that women are forced to deal with on a daily basis. However, lawsuits by feminist groups have managed to advance in legal terms; In 2015, the "Law to prevent and punish sexual harassment in public spaces”. Likewise, in Chile (2019) and Costa Rica (2020) a law came into force that punishes street harassment with fines and jail terms.
However, The COVID-19 pandemic has created additional risks for women and girls who suffer from domestic violence, who are now confined with their attacker. In Argentina, as in other countries, complaints for this cause have increased by 39% during the quarantine, so the government has taken measures, such as opening shelters and establishing reporting protocols.
In 2015, Argentine feminist collectives organized the first mobilization #Not one less and made demands for which they continue to fight despite the pandemic scenario, in which social networks have played a fundamental role in the spread of virtual protests. Gender violence during confinement confirms the verses of the Chilean song “Un violador en tu camino”, created by the feminist collective “Las Tesis” and inspired by the Argentine feminist movement; This situation is a structural problem in which under no circumstances can blame be attributed to the victims.
Abortion
The radical criminalization of abortion constitutes an inhumane practice in which social injustice and the feminization of poverty. It is women from low-income sectors who go to public hospitals in search of medical attention and end up being accused of induced abortion or even attempted murder. Faced with this situation, doctors and health personnel find themselves at a crossroads; The law requires them to report if there are suspicions of induced abortion, if they do not do so, a judicial process also awaits them.
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) and Amnesty International have acted in cases of legal negligence on this issue in El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The role of international organizations and feminist groups has been fundamental in making appeals to the Courts of Justice of these countries, since the accused women are not only unaware of the judicial procedure they face, they also do not have the resources to hire private lawyers, for which means that the protection of their rights remains almost entirely in the hands of the State.
In international treaties, the discussion regarding abortion has focused on the scope of protection of the right to life, which contradicts those of pregnant women. Pro-life organizations defend the right of the human being from conception; however, in cases in which a woman's life is in danger, the debate about which life to privilege? mother or that of the fetus?
The protection of women's rights does not seek to privilege one life over another, but to grant women the corresponding reproductive rights. These laws cause a precarious society in which women's socioeconomic vulnerability costs them their freedom or even their lives. Given this situation, Feminism strongly maintains the fight for the decriminalization of the interruption of pregnancy as a necessary step to achieve gender equality.
“My body is mine, I decide. “I have autonomy, I am mine.” is one of the main slogans of feminist practice, which is necessary in a region where clandestine abortions have come to be counted in 5 thousand and 10 thousand deaths annually. However, it is important to remember that Feminism defends the legalization of abortion so that each woman exercises the power of decision, not so that this measure becomes a method of social discrimination in which reproductive rights are taken away from sectors of low socioeconomic level.
Femicide
According to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), In 2018 the number of femicides in this region amounted to 3,529. The countries with the highest rates are El Salvador, Honduras, Bolivia, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, which encompass a series of characteristics that make them significantly violent for women. The feminicide practice is the product of a misogynistic culture in which “minor acts of gender violence” are normalized by patriarchal society.
According to Isabel Claudia Martínez Álvarez, a consultant in criminal law and gender perspective, a feminicide differs from a homicide because it is the murder of a woman in which other legal rights are taken from the victim in addition to life, such as dignity and integrity. Likewise, it is an intentional crime, because there are behaviors of gender violence before or after the death of the victim.
The feminist movement speaks out against judicial impunity for femicides; Marches and protests draw the spotlight to the cases. In Argentina, the case of Michaela García, a 21-year-old university woman and active participant in #NiUnaMenos, caused a stir in April 2016 due to the history of her feminicide, who had previous convictions and was only allowed authorized outings. Similarly, in Mexico, the case of Ingrid Escamilla, a 25-year-old university woman who was brutally murdered by her partner in January 2020, mobilized feminist groups throughout the country.
These are a couple of cases that exemplify the reality of every day in Latin America, one of the deadliest regions for the female population. The sexist culture in which men and women participate generates gender inequality from the family nucleus. This is the main reason why feminism promotes the deconstruction of gender roles and speaks out against the participation of men in the movement, since it is considered that their role falls on get rid of the thought patterns causing the toxic masculinity.
Closing remarks
The spread of feminism in Latin America corresponds to the urgency of protection by the State. Feminist demonstrations in which private property is damaged have been classified as violent acts, however, the critical thinking behind them has its foundations in radical and socialist feminism; The branches of large capitalist corporations that commodify human beings and nature are vandalized, monuments are painted because they are cultural assets of the State that stop representing democratic values when the voice of half of the population is silenced.
The above is known as iconoclasm, that is, the destruction of symbols or monuments for political or religious purposes. Feminist protests are a valid form of expression in the face of the harsh reality of governments that daily call into question the testimonies of thousands of women and girls. However, it is important to remember that Feminism should not be associated with contempt for the male sex (misandry), which seeks to abolish the sexist practices promoted by the patriarchal system.
Feminism is a spokesperson for women; It seeks to give women the ability to decide, from issues as basic as the free choice of clothing without fear of harassment to the power to decide on motherhood. The same way, the sorority As one of its principles is oriented towards union and inclusion; It is an open invitation to the alliance between women to fight for a Latin America free of gender violence.
Those who do not move do not notice their chains
Rosa Luxemburg
Internationalist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. I love languages, research and international politics. I want to make known the problems of the countries and turn social causes into an everyday issue. Being aware of our reality is the first step to transforming it.
