Being young and feminist in Guanajuato: Between resistance and violence

Abstract

Amidst a violent environment in Guanajuato, several feminist collectives have emerged, fueled by the radical activities that the feminist movement has reached nationwide. In this study we present the path followed by members of feminist collectives in Guanajuato, researching their community strategies (Gutiérrez-Aguilar, 2017), their understanding of feminism, its strength (Gago, 2019), and their organization strategies. We use the methodological approach of the lifeline, which encourages a situated reflection on one’s experiences (Ruiz y García, 2018). We contacted members of feminist collectives who were born and raised in the State of Guanajuato. The guiding questions were: what nuances does feminist mobilization acquire in the face of multiple forms of oppression (Gargallo, 2006) in an ultra-conservative environment? What are the main challenges as collectives in the face of the growing feminicidal violence in the state? And what implications and peculiarities does the exercise of politics in feminine have? (Gutiérrez Aguilar, 2017). The Feministas y jóvenes en G uanajuato: entre las resistencias y las violencias147147 study presents a first approach to these experiences contributing to the characterization of the experiences of young feminists outside the capital, in a state that stands out for its conservatism. Among the findings is, as the central axis of the actions, the right to a life free of violence and the feeling of imminent threat evidenced by Raquel Gutiérrez (2018), where the euphoria caused by collective work coexists with the fear of experimenting violence by the State, society and organized crime.