Challenges for Feminism in a Globalized World
http://alainet.org/publica/retosfem/en/

How can another world be made possible?

Carolyn Medel-Añonuevo^*

The slogan “Another world is possible” is not new. Since the nineteenth century, different versions of this have been articulated to mobilize the masses to change their societies. While the range of movements and the revolutions that this slogan have given birth to produce some changes, the Other world remains elusive.

Will this be a reality in the XXI century? In spite of the overwhelming poverty and war of destruction around us, perhaps there is no better opportunity to realize this dream than the globalized world we live in now. The diversity of movements that address the complex issues we are constantly faced with in our daily life is one of our strengths that we have to build on. Class, ethnic, gender, race, sexual orientation and the many other differences that continue to divide and give privileges are being challenged in all parts of the world. The urgent task at hand is to look at the inter-linkages of such struggles and not to quibble about which has greater primacy. The political agenda of “Another world is possible” is to ensure that the demands of such a diverse world are adequately reflected in making the blueprint of this new world.

In this globalize world where many women and men have easy access to information through information and communication technologies, it is faster to get connected and to know about developments in other parts of the world. Transparency and accountability measures are in place in varying degrees, to allow us to monitor and track the policies and activities of multinationals, multilateral organizations and governments. For women who have been traditionally marginalized from public information, there is no better time to know about the abuse of their neighbors in the hands of their partners, as well as the different forms of marginalization produced by the World Trade Organization’s policies. Such information that has been transformed with our analysis is another strength, which needs to be constantly sharpened. In a rapidly changing world, we have to be on our toes to incorporate the new with the unchanged, to make sense of our world at the micro, meson and macro levels so that we could continue to strategize appropriately.

The first two strengths I have mentioned, diversity of movements and access and exchange of information needs to be complemented by honing our third strength -demonstrated at Porto Alegre- our capacity to network. The networks of women interfacing with networks of workers, of urban poor, of peasants, of indigenous communities have not only strengthened the movement for another world but also reinforced the idea that another world is possible only if we are able to work together and build alliances. While conflicts among and between these networks do exist, the challenge in the coming years is for continuous dialogue and clarification of perspectives, to allow us to not only respect demands of the different communities, but more importantly, to come to an integrated perspective. The feminist perspective can only be strengthened if it is constantly interrogated by other perspectives. Such a process must not only be welcome but must consciously be brought about. I believe that Porto Alegre is one such venue where questioning needs to take place.

Finally, for me, the fourth strength that we have to build on as we create this Other world is to recognize the importance of identities as we confront other identities. The 21st century is different from other centuries in that the struggles for diverse identities are firmly placed at the center. Previous centuries have focused on struggles between kings and bourgeoisie, between landlords and peasants, and between capitalists and workers. In the complex world that we live in now, we realize that class and the consequent relations to production are only one aspect that defines who we are. There are gender relations, membership to ethnic communities, sexual orientation and a host of other differences that interweave to produce not only who we are but also how we are able to act in this world. We have been socialized to be afraid of the other or to fear the different. Perhaps for Another world to be reality, we have to overcome such fear and instead appreciate the richness such diversity brings.

To be genuinely global and transformative, feminists all over the world must seize opportunities presented in forums like Porto Alegre to further advance our strengths and contribute to the realization of Another world.

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