FROM 'NI UNA MÁS' TO #NIUNAMENOS. WOMEN'S MOVEMENTS
AND FEMINISMS IN LATIN AMERICA
Marisa Revilla Blanco (2019)
Summary:
1. "NOT ONE WOMAN LESS, NOT ONE MORE DEATH"
In 2007, ECLAC published a report on violence against women in Latin America and the Caribbean, inspired by the slogan "Not one
more!" of the protests against femicides in Ciudad Juárez. Since then, the #NiUnaMenos movement has united feminists in
Argentina and beyond, denouncing violence and impunity. These slogans have been fundamental for international mobilization,
using tools such as hashtags and performances to make the problem visible.
In Latin America, the struggle focuses on challenging patriarchy, defending women's autonomy over their bodies, and confronting
daily violence in the streets and in conflict situations. This struggle has united diverse feminist identities, amplifying voices and
actions. The article discusses how these movements have diversified and strengthened, especially through digital participation.
Two key processes stand out: the growing diversity of feminist identities and the increase in digital participation, which has
expanded the repertoire of mobilization. Despite the advances, there are significant challenges for women's movements in Latin
America today.
2. WOMEN'S MOVEMENTS AND FEMINISMS IN LATIN AMERICA: THE DELIMITATION OF THE SCOPE OF ANALYSIS
In the academic literature, three categories of social movements related to the struggle for gender equality are identified: women's
movements, feminist movements, and movements for gender justice. Women's movements are mostly composed of women as
participants and leaders, appealing to women as the basis of their organization. Some are initiative-taking, seeking to transform
gender roles, while others are reactive, accepting women's traditional roles. Feminist movements, on the other hand, embrace
feminist ideology and challenge the gender inequalities established by patriarchy. Movements for gender justice can be understood
as the struggle for egalitarian social and legal relations between the sexes, as well as the denunciation of unequal power relations
according to gender, including those of sexual minorities.
Women's, feminist, and gender justice organizations represent specific identities and can change over time and social context. The
processes of institutionalization and "NGO" can influence the direction and strategies of these movements, although they can also
move them away from the fundamental principles of feminism.
3. THE DIVERSIFICATION OF IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES
In the last decade, the diversification of identities within Latin American feminisms has been fundamental, marking what is
considered the fourth wave. This phenomenon has resulted in the creation of "other feminisms," where women who were
previously seen as "the others"—such as rural and urban workers, Afro-descendants, Indigenous women, and lesbians—have led
new forms of feminist activism. This shift has broadened the concept of human rights, incorporating struggles for social, racial, and
sexual justice, challenging both patriarchy and capitalism, two deeply interconnected systems.
The meetings and conferences have been crucial as historical spaces of articulation for these movements in Latin America and the
Caribbean. Events such as the Feminist and Lesbian-Feminist Meetings have facilitated the creation of regional networks where
organizational and subjective experiences are shared. These meetings not only foster mobilization, but also help define specifically
Latin American identities and strategies, contributing to the formation of imagined feminist communities in the region.
3.1. MEETINGS AS SPACES FOR MOBILIZATION AND REGIONAL ARTICULATION
From the first Feminist Meeting of Latin America and the Caribbean (EFLAC) in 1981 to the last one in 2017, we have witnessed
how diversity has been articulated. Each meeting has been an opportunity to address crucial issues such as the link between
market and patriarchy, sexual violence, the experience of lesbians and the invisibility of race in oppression. Over the years, we
have seen debates emerge about homogeneity versus diversity in feminist strategies, as well as tensions between "utopian" and
"possible" feminists. Discussions around autonomy versus institutionalization have been constant, reflecting the complexity of the
Latin American feminist movement.
1
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AND FEMINISMS IN LATIN AMERICA
Marisa Revilla Blanco (2019)
Summary:
1. "NOT ONE WOMAN LESS, NOT ONE MORE DEATH"
In 2007, ECLAC published a report on violence against women in Latin America and the Caribbean, inspired by the slogan "Not one
more!" of the protests against femicides in Ciudad Juárez. Since then, the #NiUnaMenos movement has united feminists in
Argentina and beyond, denouncing violence and impunity. These slogans have been fundamental for international mobilization,
using tools such as hashtags and performances to make the problem visible.
In Latin America, the struggle focuses on challenging patriarchy, defending women's autonomy over their bodies, and confronting
daily violence in the streets and in conflict situations. This struggle has united diverse feminist identities, amplifying voices and
actions. The article discusses how these movements have diversified and strengthened, especially through digital participation.
Two key processes stand out: the growing diversity of feminist identities and the increase in digital participation, which has
expanded the repertoire of mobilization. Despite the advances, there are significant challenges for women's movements in Latin
America today.
2. WOMEN'S MOVEMENTS AND FEMINISMS IN LATIN AMERICA: THE DELIMITATION OF THE SCOPE OF ANALYSIS
In the academic literature, three categories of social movements related to the struggle for gender equality are identified: women's
movements, feminist movements, and movements for gender justice. Women's movements are mostly composed of women as
participants and leaders, appealing to women as the basis of their organization. Some are initiative-taking, seeking to transform
gender roles, while others are reactive, accepting women's traditional roles. Feminist movements, on the other hand, embrace
feminist ideology and challenge the gender inequalities established by patriarchy. Movements for gender justice can be understood
as the struggle for egalitarian social and legal relations between the sexes, as well as the denunciation of unequal power relations
according to gender, including those of sexual minorities.
Women's, feminist, and gender justice organizations represent specific identities and can change over time and social context. The
processes of institutionalization and "NGO" can influence the direction and strategies of these movements, although they can also
move them away from the fundamental principles of feminism.
3. THE DIVERSIFICATION OF IDENTIFICATION PROCESSES
In the last decade, the diversification of identities within Latin American feminisms has been fundamental, marking what is
considered the fourth wave. This phenomenon has resulted in the creation of "other feminisms," where women who were
previously seen as "the others"—such as rural and urban workers, Afro-descendants, Indigenous women, and lesbians—have led
new forms of feminist activism. This shift has broadened the concept of human rights, incorporating struggles for social, racial, and
sexual justice, challenging both patriarchy and capitalism, two deeply interconnected systems.
The meetings and conferences have been crucial as historical spaces of articulation for these movements in Latin America and the
Caribbean. Events such as the Feminist and Lesbian-Feminist Meetings have facilitated the creation of regional networks where
organizational and subjective experiences are shared. These meetings not only foster mobilization, but also help define specifically
Latin American identities and strategies, contributing to the formation of imagined feminist communities in the region.
3.1. MEETINGS AS SPACES FOR MOBILIZATION AND REGIONAL ARTICULATION
From the first Feminist Meeting of Latin America and the Caribbean (EFLAC) in 1981 to the last one in 2017, we have witnessed
how diversity has been articulated. Each meeting has been an opportunity to address crucial issues such as the link between
market and patriarchy, sexual violence, the experience of lesbians and the invisibility of race in oppression. Over the years, we
have seen debates emerge about homogeneity versus diversity in feminist strategies, as well as tensions between "utopian" and
"possible" feminists. Discussions around autonomy versus institutionalization have been constant, reflecting the complexity of the
Latin American feminist movement.
1
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