Monday, April 20, 2015: COMPAÑERAS: Zapatista Women

"Making the world by walking...Building the world as we go."

Click here to purchase this book.

Hilary Klein discusses her new book, COMPAÑERAS: Zapatista Women’s Stories.  We talk about the origins of the EZLN, its evolution over 30 years of struggle and institution building, and how well it realizes its objectives of full gender equality.  Klein lived in Chiapas for six years and interviewed dozens of women, from military commanders to civilian leaders to cooperative members.

Prior to 1994, the indigenous women of Chiapas were often forced into arranged marriages and confined to the private sphere; they had little access to birth control, and domestic violence was widespread. But gender roles were radically redefined in the context of the Zapatista movement, as women became guerilla insurgents and political leaders, healers and educators, and members of economic cooperatives. Gathered here are the stories of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters who worked collectively to construct a new society of dignity and justice. Zapatista women have played a key role not only in creating and maintaining indigenous autonomy, but also in making great strides towards the liberation and equality of indigenous women. Today the Zapatista autonomous justice system is recognized all over many parts of Mexico.

Listen now or Get MP3. 25:14 min






Hilary will be reading from her new book Thursday, April 23 at the Eric Quezada Center for Culture and Politics, 518 Valencia, San Francisco. And at the Anarchist Book Fair Saturday, April 25 at 1 PM. Go to http://hilaryklein.org/calendar-of-events/ for more information and events.


Click here to listen to entire show. 59:50 min.

Also on today's show:
SF International Film Festival
Chinese feminist Feng Yuan on the Feminist Five