Women from Guerrero: Feminism and Politics

Abstract

New subjectivities and emerging behaviors are linked to contemporary social conditions which question the limits between what is “appropriate” for men and “appropriate” for women. In this context, some modifications to the traditional mandates of femininity and masculinity multiply and gain social visibility. From the new gender technologies, interwoven with economic and cultural activities, new expressions of femininity, backed by a political discourse against machismo and on fairness develop, and an increasing amount of women incorporates the aspiration for equality, as they challenge certain restrictions to their entering into the political and occupational world. How are these changes in practices and emotions, produced by socio-historical conditions, expressed in Mexico? How do women who live in geo-historically marginalized zones construct their practice nowadays? What is the relationship of the reconfiguration of the feminine mandate, today evident among certain women, with feminist thought? To respond to these questions, this article analyzes the case of four women from the state of Guerrero (one of the most violent entities in Mexico) who have struggled and continue to struggle against machismo, military abuse and the de facto power of drug-trafficking.