Challenges, strategies and ways forward for feminism.

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The 11th Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Meeting--the XI EFLAC, after the title of the event in Spanish--was held in Mexico City, March 16-20, 2009. The meeting culminated with a dynamic final plenary in which speakers analyzed various aspects of the different fundamentalisms evident in our lives today, forces that exercise all sorts of violence, discrimination and exclusion, with a disproportionate impact on women and girls. In the discussion, the participants recognized that fundamentalisms are, in essence, an expression of the patriarchy historically established in our societies but now visible in new forms, with new names, thanks to globalization. This situation sets forth new challenges, explained the plenary speakers, and we must develop new strategies to meet them.

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The various expressions of fundamentalism were examined and discussed in all the plenary sessions of the XI EFLAC, as well as in the workshops and independent activities, which addressed issues related to: sexual rights and reproductive rights; political participation, inclusion and diversity; rights over one's own body; abortion; HIV/AIDS; violence against women; sexual diversity and freedom from discrimination; feminisms and alliances; institutionalization and autonomy of women's organizations; relations with the political left; the market's manipulation of the communications media; indigenous women's demands for respect for multiculturalism; the many expressions of feminism and women's life cycles; and the environment and the struggle for sustainability, among other important topics. Special emphasis was given to the impact of fundamentalisms on women's rights, health and lives. Participants at the XI EFLAC also enjoyed a wide variety of artistic and cultural presentations.

One of the most popular sessions examined the role of leftist governments in the region and their relationship with the women's movement and the poor fashion in which some of these governments have responded to the historic demands of feminism. At this meeting, women boldly denounced Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega and Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez for their cooperation with the most reactionary political and religious forces that have violated the separation of Church and State. Ortega was accused of orchestrating the threats and attacks on the women who work in Nicaragua to defend women's human rights. These activists fear for their very safety, and several women testified about their experiences in this regard.

Another very interesting debate arose with the first-time participation of transsexuals in accordance with a decision adopted in the X Feminist Meeting held in Brazil. The organizing commission supported the decision to integrate this group, although the transsexual activists complained of discrimination and verbal harassment by autonomous feminists.

In the end, the discussions concurred on the need to search for new strategies and actions with which to confront fundamentalisms, whatever their form or name. They also agreed on the need to build alliances, train new generations of feminist women and recognize the value of grassroots and community-level work. Feminism cannot be just an urban movement or an academic philosophy; it must be a pervasive ideology that reaches even the most remote villages. This is the only way of democratizing feminism as a diverse and inclusive social movement, without perpetuating certain forms of inequality in access to feminist knowledge and political action. In this regard, participants rallied around the need to incorporate demands of class, race/ethnicity and also age; younger and older feminists have special experiences that must be taken into consideration, as well.

In this regard, several women observed that while fundamentalism is described as the imposition of a single belief or model of behavior over society as a whole, a similar phenomenon occurs within the feminist movement, which can be exclusionary. Black women, young women, indigenous women, transsexuals and sex workers, among others, explained that they often confront difficulties and limitations in joining feminist activism and action, because of the unequal exercise of power within the movement.

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At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that the XII EFLAC would be held in Colombia, in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the First Feminist Meeting held in the region. With a view to this next meeting, representatives of African-descendant women, lesbians, transsexuals, young feminists, journalists, housewives, sex workers, indigenous women, academics, union leaders and others spoke out, expressing their demands and desires for this upcoming event. At the very end of the Mexico City meeting, the participants took the streets in a march of public protest through the historic downtown area carrying banners, signs and flags.

LACWHN at the IX EFLAC

During the meeting, the Latin American and Caribbean Women's Health Network organized three important activities.

The General Coordinator and the Board of Directors organized a meeting of LACWHN member groups that were given details about the process towards an upcoming Regional Meeting of LACWHN Members to be held in 2010. Sixty women from various countries throughout the region took part and received firsthand information about this important political process that will decide key issues, including LACWHN's political agenda and future strategies. This very important meeting was attended both by women representing longstanding member organizations from the Network, as well as newer groups, some with adolescent women as representatives. While the process of organizing the meeting will undoubtedly be complex, difficult work, there is considerable interest in the event, which is a step towards democratizing the efforts of LACWHN, as we celebrate 25 years of uninterrupted work in 2009. As Advisory Council member Maria Suarez observed, the most important of part the meeting will be the commemoration of this anniversary; no matter how much work it takes, that is something worth celebrating!

LACWHN's General Coordinator and Board of Directors also organized a Workshop on Fundamentalisms and Their Impact on Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights, which was attended by LACWHN members who shared their experiences with regard to the various expressions of fundamentalism throughout the region and their clearly reactionary impact. Specific examples were the situations in Brazil and Ecuador, where women's rights have endured several attacks by fundamentalists sectors in recent years. Telia Negrao, LACWHN board member and Executive Secretary of Brazil's Rede Nacional Feminista de Saude, Direitos Sexuais e Direitos Reprodutivos (National Feminist Network for Health, Sexual Rights and Reproductive Rights) made special reference to the issue of abortion and the impact of visits by Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to her country, which has inspired those opposed to freedom of reproductive choice who have been able to block important public health policies and any progress with regard to abortion. LACWHN board member Zaida Betancourt shared a video on the protests in her country, Ecuador, to confront the attempts to overturn the longstanding law allowing therapeutic abortion and the attacks against emergency contraception. These reactionary efforts were tied to proposed constitutional reforms, although in this case the conservative sectors were unsuccessful. Nirvana Gonzalez, LACWHN General Coordinator, concluded the discussion by urging LACWHN members to join forces in the design of common strategies to confront the fundamentalist onslaught in our region, which seeks to perfect mechanisms of control over women's bodies, sexuality and reproduction.

Finally, Adriana Gomez, LACWHN Publications and Communications Coordinator, offered a Workshop on Communication and Women's Rights, which discussed communications strategies to promote information about women's human rights and encourage their defense. The workshop looked at different aspects of the role of the communications media, which is controlled by huge economic interests that tend to ignore women's concerns, especially those that conflict with the status quo, such as abortion or sexual diversity. Like the advertising industry, the media distorts women's images, using stereotypes and aesthetic standards that are totally divorced from reality, which makes women's true lives and health care needs even harder to comprehend. This workshop also addressed the urgent need for women to speak to the media, to sensitize journalists and encourage them to focus a more lucid, comprehensive and less punishing lens on women. Training women's organizations to deal with the communications media should complement these efforts.