Radical Feminist Activism in Latin America

On 1st May 2024, the Centre for Contemporary Political Theory at Leeds hosted a roundtable conversation with Dr Melany Cruz from Leicester University. In her work, Melany is exploring the resurgence of the feminist movement in Chile, focusing on the formation of feminist consciousness as a political project in a context of neoliberal crisis and the meanings of violence and civil disobedience within the movement.

The conversation addressed the recent spate of radical feminist uprisings, protests and strikes in Latin America, such as the C8M in Chile or Las Tesis in Argentina. We discussed how radical feminist activism is challenging the dominant masculinist ideals of resistance and how it is forging new solidarities across intersecting oppressions.

Melany also came to speak to my Radical Political Ideas class to discuss Veronica Gago’s writings on the feminist strike with my students.