‘Any conceptualisation of VAW in its interconnection
with poverty and inequalities requires an analysis of racial, ethnic and
sexual differences with VAW’
Muñoz p.30
In Intersecting Violences, Patricia Muñoz highlights studies that indicate how different dimensions of women’s identity uncover more complex analysis of violence and discrimination. For example, neo-liberalism has uncovered racist attitudes and social inequality that is widespread throughout Latin America in spite of political and economic reforms. Two centuries after independence, the continent continues to be ruled by white people of European descent: Spanish or Portuguese and other nationalities assimilated into these groups. These same ruling classes continue to have the lion’s share of resources and a better lifestyle than the majority of the population who are of mixed-race, indigenous or Afro-American.
Women from indigenous groups in Guatemala and Bolivia are particularly vulnerable to different forms of violence because of their gender and ethnicity. Even women who have reached positions of authority and have been elected into power are faced with gender-based violence because of their gender and ethnicity. It is therefore important to understand how cultural identity and norms should be integrated into appropriate responses to tackle different forms of violence.
In this section we provide three very different case studies
of organisations bringing together women within their ethnic and racial
communities to take action against social exclusion and different forms
of violence against them.
globalising women's poverty
and migration |
KAQLA
Guatemala  |
