Judith Butler: Attacks on feminism are a response to its success

A discussion with prominent feminist Judith Butler, a talk from activist Olimpia Coral Melo about online violence, and proposals to develop opportunities for women formed part of the Tec de Monterrey 2021 Feminism Conference.

These virtual conversations were held between March 8th and 12th and aimed to highlight the problems and challenges faced by women.

“It is the work of each and every one of us to do what is necessary to close gaps and highlight the talent, leadership, and contributions of extraordinary women every single day,” added David Garza, rector and executive president of the Tec.

CONECTA shares the highlights of this event.

Butler: Attacks on feminism are a response to its success

In the conversation “Feminism for our Times”, renowned international feminist Judith Butler explained that attacks on feminism are becoming more common and public as a result of its success.

“They’ve been a response to our success in fighting sexual violence, fighting for equal pay, and giving women reproductive freedom,” she said.

She also spoke about the importance of interdependence and the need for various movements to unite through actions that will support many of their objectives.

“For example, climate change. If we cannot save the Earth from destruction then we will lose the conditions to live, love, and fight for justice, freedom, and equality,” she said.

“They have been a response to our success in fighting sexual violence, fighting for equal pay, and giving women reproductive freedom.”

Olimpia Melo’s struggle against digital violence

Activist Olimpia Coral Melo talked about her struggle to defend women who have suffered from digital violence, as she did when a video in which she appeared naked went viral and which, she explained, “almost destroyed her life.”

After 3 suicide attempts, and with the unfailing support of her family, she began to draft a bill.

“I learned of so many cases (of digital violence) from other women, and I asked myself, ‘Why is this not a crime?’ Together with my colleagues, I began to fight because for it to become so.

“Today, after having been Olimpia ‘the chubby girl from Huauchinango’, I am now Olimpia, ‘the one who created the Olimpia Act’,” she says.

Now, this reform of the law on crimes against sexual intimacy, is working to eradicate digital violence, the victims of which are mostly women, and which was not previously punishable by law.

The Olimpia Act punishes those who share sexual content such as photographs or videos on social networks and digital media without the consent of the person who appears in the material with up to 6 years in prison.

Art, a resource for telling women’s stories

Monica Mayer, considered a trend setter for feminist art in Mexico, invited women to express what they feel when society makes them invisible through art.

“I understood how important it was to work collectively and to share our experiences and what we feel through art,” she explained.

Mayer exemplifies the above with her work “Clothesline”, featuring hanging sheets of various sizes and colors on which women are invited to write phrases, questions, complaints, or opinions. It is a work which continues to be reproduced in cultural and educational institutions to the present day.

In another of the talks, designer Valeria Gallo spoke of the important role that women in art currently play in the fight for equality and women’s rights. 

“Young women are the ones who are taking up arms, so to speak, through their words, voices, and images: they’re the ones who are saying things.

“It’s a reflection of the role we (women) play in all areas. You see this a lot in illustration, because it’s a visual discipline, but the same happens in literature, music, and other areas,” she explained.

Humanities + feminism = a more just world

Mariana Gabarrot, Mónica Lloret, Viviana Ortiz, and María Concepción Castillo, professors at Tec de Monterrey, all agreed that a more just world can be achieved through humanities and feminism.

“Feminism seeks a just world in which we all have access to a decent life because 10 women are killed every day in Mexico. It’s a basic human right,” Gabarrot asserted.

The professors from the School of Humanities and Education addressed the importance of feminism.

“I cannot conceive of the search for a more humane world without the deep and critical reflection of the humanities,” shared Ortiz.

“Similarly, I can’t imagine the Humanities without feminism, because this is the voice of women, the voice of that part of humanity which has often been made invisible,” she added.

More women should have access to power 

Gabriela Ortiz, Laurence Bertoux, Lourdes Ocampo, Pilar González, and Tzinti Ramírez addressed the importance of more and more women having access to and exercising power to ensure a more just and equal world.

“Power should be used for the majority, to build better futures,” said Ocampo.

In addition to access to managerial or leadership positions in various areas, they also stressed the importance of empowering women’s discourse. 

“We’d have to start thinking (about power) from the perspective of empowering others, being taken seriously, and making things happen,” said Ramírez.

How to hack the patriarchy

In a panel moderated by Judith Ruiz-Godoy, professors Ana Luisa Sánchez, Beatriz Murrieta, Ethel Krauze, and Nivardo Trejo reflected on what it means to hack the patriarchy and the relationship between feminism and technology.

Sánchez said that the concept of hacking can be conceived as a deconstruction and radical transformation that generates a certain perversion of the predominant formula in the system we know.

“Hacking implies resistance and gives us new ways of seeing the world that help us break away from existing binaries, both in terms of the binary code of ones and zeros, but also the binary of man and woman,” said Sánchez.

“It dismantles our preconceptions. It means empowering diverse groups to make decisions, making knowledge and technology available to everyone. As a woman, it also means speaking up about feminism and about technology,” said Murrieta.

The Feminism Conference takes place on International Women’s Day, commemorated on March 8, the same day that Tec de Monterrey presented the 2021 Mujer Tec Awards.

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