“Me Gritaron Negra”: The emergence and development of the Afro-descendant women’s movement in Peru (1980-2015)

Abstract

This article examines the evolution of the Afro-descendant women’s movement in Peru between 1980 and 2015. We examine the development of women’s conscious through other movements, specifically through the national Afro-Peruvian movement and the regional feminist encounters that have been taking place since the 1980s. Our study outlines the tensions, and points of convergence and divergence that have existed for Afro-Peruvian women in these movements. We demonstrate how these issues characterize the nature of Afro-Peruvian women’s struggle and their social and political position within the realm of race- and gender-based activism. We show that this friction has prompted women to challenge their institutions and to create spaces for themselves to focus on their own specific needs. First, we trace the Afro-descendant and feminist movements, beginning at the regional level before focusing on the specific case of Peru. Then we outline the different roles that women activists have occupied within the Afro-descendant movement in-country and show how their participation became more visible within their respective organizations and, at times, in the government. Finally, we examine the emergence of a new feminist Afro-Peruvian collective that has served as a locus of cross-organizational dialogue and articulation for veteran and newer activists. The conclusion outlines important current advances involving civil society collectives.