Autonomous feminism

Autonomous feminism is a narrowly documented framework that appears particularly when discussing Latin American Feminisms.[1] There is no concrete definition that belongs to Autonomous feminism, but rather a culmination of dispersed ideas. Autonomy in itself refers to "the idea that individuals are entitled to exercise self-determining authority over their own lives."[2] Feminist theories regarding autonomy directly correlates to how systematic gender oppression hinders the abilities of women to be "self-determining" and "self-governing".[2] Moreover, autonomy is a core and evolving concept within feminism and respective feminist identities. The basis of autonomy goes against and aims to demolish gender-based oppressions.[3] Some of these oppressions include lack of abortion rights, gender violence in both the public and private spheres, and the lack of justice for murdered and disappeared relatives (speaking specifically for those in Latin America).[3] Moreover, gender oppression can also take the form of sexual harassment/exploitation, inequalities of opportunity, and gender-based discrimination.[2] In addition, some important autonomous demands include political party independence, choice in the space of whether or not to join male allies, and a criticism of "money king".[1]

Autonomous feminism is a transnational concept that goes hand-in-hand with ideas surrounding anti-racism, concern about the effects of globalization, a counter to compulsory heterosexuality, and a denouncement of the patriarchy.[4] The history of Autonomous Feminism has its roots in Latin American Feminisms throughout the 1970s and 1980s and the resulting activism of this era.[3] In terms of opposition to militant feminists and their participation in left pollical parties, "Autonomy, in this context, was defined as independence from any organization that understood that fight for women's liberation as a secondary goal."[3] This was seen with the rise of neoliberalist thought in the 1990s. There was also another emergence in ideas surrounding autonomous feminism in the 2000s.

  1. ^ a b Falquet, Jules (2014-06-26). "Las "Feministas autónomas" latinoamericanas y caribeñas: veinte años de disidencias". Universitas Humanística. 78 (78). doi:10.11144/javeriana.uh78.falc. ISSN 2011-2734.
  2. ^ a b c Mackenzie, Catriona (2017-09-19), "Feminist Conceptions of Autonomy", The Routledge Companion to Feminist Philosophy, 1 [edition]. | New York : Routledge, 2017. | Series: Routledge philosophy companions: Routledge, pp. 515–527, doi:10.4324/9781315758152-42, ISBN 978-1-315-75815-2, retrieved 2023-11-30{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^ a b c d Rivera Berruz, Stephanie (2023), "Latin American Feminism", in Zalta, Edward N.; Nodelman, Uri (eds.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2023 ed.), Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, retrieved 2023-11-30
  4. ^ Falquet, Jules (2011). "Latin American and Caribbean 'Autonomous Feminists': Twenty Years Criticizing Cooperation for Development". Recherches féministes. 24 (2): 39–58. doi:10.7202/1007751ar.