LATIN AMERICAN TRANSNATIONAL FEMINIST SOLIDARITY: Alliance for Safe Abortion Access

Abstract

This dissertation explores the crafting of feminist alliances in the Latin American context that navigate and resist oppressive structures and propose new human rights paradigms that prioritise women's autonomy and dignity. By examining the affiliation between two organisations in the region, the Brazilian Milhas Pela Vida das Mulheres and the Colombian Oriéntame, the study highlights innovative models of feminist solidarity. The two groups collaborate to guarantee safe and affordable abortions for Brazilians whose terminations do not fall under the legal permissions in their country. With the support of these groups, individuals travel to Colombia, where abortion regulation permits the procedure up to 24 weeks. The central research question investigates how these cooperative models foster a Latin American feminism that challenges and reconfigures colonial boundaries, forming alliances across national and linguistic lines, and reshaping human rights discourse. Methodologically, the research employs a semi-structured interview with Juliana Reis, founder of Milhas Pela Vida das Mulheres, along with a comprehensive review of relevant feminist decolonial literature. This approach provides a decolonial perspective on feminist solidarity, emphasising the importance of intersectionality and dismantling colonial epistemological hierarchies. This dissertation contributes to the academic field by elucidating the significance of feminist affiliations in the Latin American context. It advocates for a more inclusive and intersectional feminist movement and aims to inspire further research into decolonial feminist praxis and the reimagining of human rights.