The Historical Role of the Women of La Via Campesina in the Current Crisis
The climate crisis is urgent. Within this context, agriculture has become an important matter for the humanity’s future, and women play a key role in it. We need to rescue the dignity of the human being. Women must assume their place as relevant agents, as they have a central role in promoting food sovereignty.
Peasant women’s collective is complex, and its intersectionality needs to be understood in relation to class, ethnicity, race, and location, which the capitalist system uses to exploit and oppress women. Within the neoliberal capitalist system, women are affected not only by labor division per gender and race, but also by free trade agreements, mining, GMOs, wars, and other domination tools.
Patriarchy has existed in different moments of history and imposed standards of behavior and domination on women’s bodies in society, relegating them to a subordinated position. The patriarchal system is supported by private property and by the class-based society. It shows us that, in order to destroy the patriarchal capitalist model, we need to fight the class system and gender roles.
To reach gender equality in rural areas and in agriculture, we must eliminate the sexist culture and fight gender violence. This is the only way by which we can achieve gender equality in the countryside, contributing to building equality throughout society.