Other epistemologies for gender studies: feminisms, intersectionality and the sexual division of labour under debate from Latin America

Abstract

Since its first wave, the feminist movement emerges as a proposal to combat inequalities between men and women, aiming to deconstruct the dominant masculine logic. However, traditional hegemonic feminism, based on the experience of white and bourgeois women, has universalizing and totalizing characteristics that end up disregarding other women. In this context, decolonial feminism emerges as a proposal to review modern concepts connected to traditional hegemonic feminism ”“ thought for a bourgeois white woman ”“ highlighting the concept of intersectionality. Intersectionality is a fundamental point to understand the various positions that women occupy in society, giving visibility to groups that, until now, were not considered in the imaginary of “being woman”. Moreover, intersectionality brings as contribution the fact that sexual division of labor is also racial and based in class. In addition, the concept proposes to social sciences an analysis of the different forms of oppression and ways in which the "colonial wound" is embodied in corps historically situated in particular and local processes. Nevertheless, it is considered important to discuss the criticisms made to the concept and to point out theoretical-methodological challenges regarding its operationalization. As a conclusion, the article elucidates that what exists is, indeed, intersectionalities, that is, categories of articulation varying according to the group and its social, cultural and political context.