This Week in Feminism South of the Border

Image translation: “While some breathe in, others expire.” Photo cred

For those of us who have family, friends and ties beyond borders, and those of us who care about global feminism, here’s a few tidbits on what our allies south of the border are up to.

Guyana’s Chief Justice rules that “cross-dressing in a public place is an offense only if it is done for an improper purpose.” The Guyana trans community and their allies argue that this is not enough. What is an “improper purpose?”

The Zapatistas haven’t made news in a while, but they are still making community away from mainstream norms. To read why many argue that the Zapatistas are feminist, click here or read about Comandante Ramona here.

The United Nations’ recently-adopted International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance may not mean a lot in the U.S., but Latin America is still mourning its disappeared. Countries like Guatemala, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay lost thousands of people in recent history, and this still continues in Mexico and Colombia, where many of the victims are women.

Has Latin American made any progress on improving reproductive health for women?

On September 5, the ILO Domestic Workers’ Convention 189 went into effect, increasing rights for domestic workers around the world. Among the countries who have already ratified the convention are Bolivia, Nicaragua, Paraguay and Uruguay.