Revisiting Mainstream Feminist Approaches: A New Framework for Feminist Activism

Abstract

The feminist movement in Nicaragua and Guatemala in the early 2010s mainly focuses on those elements of women's empowerment which can be addressed through a rights-based approach or a public strategy of collective action. This chapter raises several questions concerning the relationship between this strategy and the dominance of the public realm. It analyzes how the public-private dichotomy is relevant for this research, and how it can be a framework to categorize choices of the women's movement. The chapter then turns to the potential relevance of a 'private approach' for women's empowerment, exploring whether such an approach could be an added value to existing feminist programs. It singles out four elements traditionally related to the private realm - emotions, bodily experiences, enjoyment and spirituality. A combination of both approaches is needed to tap into the full potential of both the feminist movement and the individual woman.Keywords: feminist activism; Guatemala; Nicaragua; public-private dichotomy; rationalistic public approach; women's empowerment