May 15, 2022:
Here is a quick snapshot of one of the booths in the Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires. This booth allowed attendees to write post-its on what Buenos Aires needs to construct a country more equitable. Here we got to connect with cultural and political organizations all over Argentina. We even got to pick up some books for our research and the flight back home. This was a great place to find contacts for interviews and local books related to our research.
May 16, 2022:
After a stroll to la casa Rosada we came across an artisan mall, where local artisans sell their creative work. Many of the artisans are connected to Fuerza Mestiza- a Transfeminist collective of artisans and artists without borders. This was great for my research, as much of their work is recording femicides and are “messengers” for those missing and/or killed. I spent most of my time talking to Karina, who then gave me her contact to set up an interview later that week.
May 17, 2022:
The next day I came to interview Karina and Alex, both of who are connected to Fuerza Mestiza and other feminist movements across Latin America. They call themselves messengers, as they travel to connect with other feminists, record information, about missing womxn, and inform others about the realities of femicides through their creative work. Here I took pictures of the work and remembrance of those who have been killed or gone missing.
May 19, 2022:
On this day, Liani and I were invited to come to join in the memorialization of Madres de Plaza de Mayo. Every Thursday, people walk around the plaza de mayo in remembrance of the mothers who protested the dictatorship when their children had gone missing. Some of the mothers showed up and spoke. Many of the speeches talked about the intersections of this movement and current-day events, such as abortion rights and femicides. Liani and I were able to meet many actors and activists in the movement, which led to follow-up interviews for our research!
May 19, 2022:
At night, Liani and I were invited to the University of Buenos Aires by lawyer and activist Maria Jose Lubertino, who wrote a book on eco-feminism and invited a panel of chapter authors to discuss their chapters in the book ranging from migrants women's rights, to indigenous and afro-argentine history, to family dynamics. Afterwords we connected with a few panelists or learned more about their work and set up future interviews. Afterward, Liani and I were interviewed by the author in our respective research. Since she has been a core activist in reproductive rights, Liani was able to ask all the questions about the activism and work she has done. Since I was researching the combating of femicides specifically we spoke more about the intersectionality of feminism, machismo culture, and the patriarchal systems in Argentina that perpetuates harm against women.
May 20, 2022:
The next day I went to interview La Casa del Encuentro, non-profit supporting women in Argentina against femicides and domestic violence. Once you enter the organization it was like a home, there were cats, pastries for the attendees and volunteers, a library, a playroom for children, and a backyard to rest and be in nature. I learned about the support the organization provides to women in the area. Their focus is on support and resources, allowing the women to attain their agency in their situations. They offer multiple support groups, which are accompanied by social workers and therapists. I found this organization specifically as I was writing my lit review. La Casa had produced more precise information and statistics compared to government reports. They analyze each case that a womxn is killed in to determine if it's femicide. Most government reports do not analyze the case with a gendered lens, which is harmful in reporting rates of femicide.
