Practicando la alternativa. El impacto de la crisis en América Latina a través de un análisis de perspectiva de género

This paper intends to analyze the impacts of the 2008 economic crisis with a gender perspective, focusing on Latin America (in this case considered as a region, although the single countries have been affected in different ways by the crisis, due to the particular economic situation of each). The main target of the research is to evaluate how austerity perpetuates gender inequality in contexts like labor market and migration, and to advocate for sustained investment in gender equality. The idea is to demonstrate, through some practical examples, why there is a need to give attention to women’s movements, invest on women and girls’ education, knowledge, culture capabilities, competences and skills, especially during economic crisis, in order to transform the existing market and the existing models of production in society.The paper wants to underline the correlation between the general and classic indicators of the economic crisis (work / development / migration / welfare state) and some of the possible “gender variables”. The analysis of this complex scenario is framed through a feminist economic approach, in order to broaden the idea of what economy is, by looking at the consequences of the economic model in times of crisis in people’s lives, bringing into light that women’s economic and social contributions are invisible under the hegemonic patriarchal model we live in.Finally, some consideration are drawn on the fact that the development of communitarian economies and cooperative systems, very relevant in Latin America, is part of an indigenous, peasant tradition and it can be interpreted as an approximation of an alternative feminist economic model, in order to compensate the lack of welfare with the women’s cooperation on reproduction. In this sense, many examples of cooperatives run by women are presented in the last part of the research. This, however, should not be seen as a justification for things not to change, but an incentive to invest in women, their education and their opportunities to participate in the economy since considering care and reproductive work as the core of the commons, as Federici has stated, it is not a matter of identity but a matter of challenging the hierarchy of power from the very basis.This paper intends to analyze the impacts of the 2008 economic crisis with a gender perspective, focusing on Latin America (in this case considered as a region, although the single countries have been affected in different ways by the crisis, due to the particular economic situation of each). The main target of the research is to evaluate how austerity perpetuates gender inequality in contexts like labor market and migration, and to advocate for sustained investment in gender equality. The idea is to demonstrate, through some practical examples, why there is a need to give attention to women’s movements, invest on women and girls’ education, knowledge, culture capabilities, competences and skills, especially during economic crisis, in order to transform the existing market and the existing models of production in society.The paper wants to underline the correlation between the general and classic indicators of the economic crisis (work / development / migration / welfare state) and some of the possible “gender variables”. The analysis of this complex scenario is framed through a feminist economic approach, in order to broaden the idea of what economy is, by looking at the consequences of the economic model in times of crisis in people’s lives, bringing into light that women’s economic and social contributions are invisible under the hegemonic patriarchal model we live in.Finally, some consideration are drawn on the fact that the development of communitarian economies and cooperative systems, very relevant in Latin America, is part of an indigenous, peasant tradition and it can be interpreted as an approximation of an alternative feminist economic model, in order to compensate the lack of welfare with the women’s cooperation on reproduction. In this sense, many examples of cooperatives run by women are presented in the last part of the research. This, however, should not be seen as a justification for things not to change, but an incentive to invest in women, their education and their opportunities to participate in the economy since considering care and reproductive work as the core of the commons, as Federici has stated, it is not a matter of identity but a matter of challenging the hierarchy of power from the very basis.Este artículo trata de analizar el impacto de la crisis económica de 2008 desde la perspectiva de género, centrándonos en Latinoamérica (en este caso considerada una región en su conjunto a pesar de que la crisis ha afectado de forma diferente a los distintos países). El objetivo fundamental es la de evaluar cómo la austeridad perpetúa la desigualdad de género en los ámbitos laboral y migratorio y abogar por la inversión sostenida en igualdad de género. La idea es demostrar, a través de algunos ejemplos prácticos, por qué es necesario prestar atención al movimiento de las mujeres, la inversión en la educación, el conocimiento, las capacidades culturales, las competencias y las habilidades, especialmente durante la crisis económica, con el objetivo de transformar los actuales mercados de trabajo y modelos de producción de la sociedad.Este trabajo quiere subrayar la correlación entre las variables generales y clásicas y la crisis económica crisis económica (trabajo / desarrollo / migración / estado de bienestar) y algunas de las posibles “variables de género”. El análisis de este complejo escenario se enmarca a través de un enfoque económico feminista, con el fin de ampliar la idea de qué es la economía, al observar las consecuencias del modelo económico en tiempos de crisis en la vida de las personas, sacando a la luz que las mujeres económicas y sociales.Finalmente, se toma en consideración el hecho de que el desarrollo de economías comunitarias y sistemas cooperativos, muy relevantes en América Latina, es parte de la tradición indígena y campesina y puede interpretarse como una aproximación de un modelo alternativo feminista con el objetivo compensar la falta de bienestar relativa a la falta de cooperación en la reproducción. En este sentido, en la última parte de la investigación se presentan muchos ejemplos de cooperativas dirigidas por mujeres. Sin embargo, esto no debe verse como una justificación para que las cosas no cambien, sino como un incentivo para invertir en las mujeres, su educación y sus oportunidades de participar en la economía, considerando la atención y el trabajo reproductivo como l núcleo de los “bienes comunes”, como lo definió Federici. Así, ésta no es una cuestión de identidad sino de desafiar la jerarquía del poder desde la base misma