Yucatecan mayan women in collective action:

A look at their gender identity from community feminism

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the gender identities experienced by a group of Mayan women from Canicab and San Antonio
Sihó, in Yucatán, Mexico, based on the theory of communitarian feminism. The analysis of their identities is based on the testimonies and observations obtained from their participation in two activities managed by the Uj jaa’ sijo’ob community center: in an inter-community workshop
with the Alternative Center for Integral Indigenous Development (CADIN, A.C.) which took place in San Antonio
Sihó and the First Encounter of Mayan Women, held in Canicab, on June 1, 2019. This collective action made it possible to obtain participant observation and interviews, from which part of the material presented in this document was obtained. The approach was qualitative, and we used a critical ethnographic method in order to explore and get an in-depth view in relation to the women’s experiences. The results reflect the expression of complex and dynamic identities, from the five categories proposed by community
feminism (Paredes, 2013), which are evident from the narratives and reflections built during these meetings. This article reveals the diversity of indigenous women, their thoughts and actions, as opposed to old stereotypes, to previously socialized ways of being a woman and which were learned within families and communities of origin. This diversity unifies itself in each woman’s capacity for action, which allows them to achieve specific control in their lives to obtain greater autonomy and access opportunities when they are based on reflexivity