By Alexandra Hernández, from Lima Photos: Presentes archive/Jessie Insfran Pérez and Aime Martínez Every March 8th, a feminist strike is held, reminding us of the history of women's struggle for the recognition of their existence and rights. Although it's a date when many brands and companies take advantage of the opportunity to gain popularity in the face of a misunderstood "Women's Day" by offering flowers, gifts, deals, and discounts, the date commemorates the struggle against the historical discrimination suffered by those of us who identify as women or are perceived as such. However, in this history of demanding rights, many figures have been rendered invisible because their shapes, behaviors, or bodies don't align with the hegemonic idea of ​​"being a woman." Let's think about the feminist struggle: What kinds of demands are the most popular? What kinds of bodies become representative of this struggle? Which feminists appear in the media? What form of struggle is celebrated, and what form of struggle is labeled as aggressive and unstrategic?

Intersectionality in the feminist struggle

When we think of “woman” (or when the media thinks of woman), hegemonic stereotypes are activated, erasing those forms of femininity or feminized bodies violated by the hierarchical system that imposes gender. Yes, patriarchy is a system that is important to define, identify, and deconstruct. But sometimes, even as feminists, we forget that it's not the only system that operates on people. He racism, classism, homophobia, and transphobia They transform the experiences of different forms of femininity. Thus, the experience of a middle-class cisgender woman is different from that of an Afro-Latina transgender woman facing sexist violence. History has taught us that access to resources places us at different starting points in society. This type of analysis, which broadens the vision of feminism to one that is more inclusive and in line with reality, is called intersectionality. We cannot articulate a struggle to eradicate gender oppression without recognizing that it is part of a larger system of hierarchy and discrimination. Race, class, and sexuality are aspects of people's identity that shape their experience of gender. And LGBTIQ+ people are those who par excellence challenge the norms of patriarchy.. Intersex, queer, and transgender people, and those whose behaviors and emotions fall outside of heteronormativity, constitute a group of bodies that rebel against the mandate of the sexist order imposed on us at birth. The idea of ​​gender transition implies questioning the rigid assumption that gender identity is a fixed and stable attribute over time. This is something that conservatism and biological determinism never tire of repeating ("one is born a woman or a man, there is no third sex"), but which is constantly proven, by our very existence, to be a mistake. We exist, and that is enough to demonstrate that the rigidity of sexuality is false. Therefore, it is logical that the feminist struggle is intrinsically related to the LGBTI struggle, given that Transphobia and homophobia are forms of gender violence. How to make feminist struggle inclusive? Feminism is a movement that seeks to change the patriarchal paradigm of society, using many strategies and methods. Homogenizing feminism is imposing the same rules it is trying to break. Talking about only two sexes or genders, speaking only from heterosexuality or cisgender perspectives, or making invisible the experiences of racism or those of certain populations to "avoid separatism" is a way of erasing the intrinsic diversity of the feminist movement. Recognizing differences does not imply separatism: all people affected by gender-based violence have a story to tell and an experience shaped by their place in the world. Ensuring that our spaces of struggle include all femininities and bodies that are violated by sexism is a way to promote diversity and ensure that less privileged voices have a space to be heard. The feminist struggle is a struggle for liberation from all forms of gender-based oppression, in whatever forms it may present itself. No agenda is more important than the other, yet there are voices within feminism that capitalize on the struggle centered on only one type of woman, and only one type of body and oppression. As feminists, we have an obligation to examine and recognize whether we fall prey to racist, homophobic, transphobic, and classist discourses that are normalized in society. Recognizing them is part of the path toward a more egalitarian society; ignoring them is falling prey to the very oppressive practices we claim to combat.