BROWN GIRL

The introduction of Women Writing Culture, a collection of multicultural, multinational feminist ethnographies assembled by Ruth Behar, describes the unique status of a female researcher: “When a woman sits down to write, all eyes on her. The woman who is turning others into the object of her gaze is herself already an object of the gaze. Woman, the original Other, is always being looked at and looked over. A woman sees herself being seen” (2). I seek to observe and analyze the world around me while in Peru and here in the U.S.; however, I am also aware of the fact that I, as a woman, am as “observed” as I am “observing.”

 

In my blog I will explore what it means to be a woman and a feminist in Lima, Peru and how women’s constant state of being “observed” affects the activism that they are able to practice. In undertaking this project I wish to learn more about multicultural feminism and become a more effective and knowledgeable advocate for women from different communities. I seek to understand: 1) the feminist networks that exist in Lima and how they operate 2) the ways in which these networks reflect those existing throughout Latin America and 3) how these networks differ from those in the U.S.

 

I will be volunteering with a feminist organization and preforming a research project with this organization through my study abroad provider, IFSA Butler, as well as taking classes at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. The medium for my analysis will be a blog updated biweekly. My blog will have a dual purpose of reflecting on the role and nature of feminism in Lima, Peru as well as describing my environment and experiences with my host family, university, volunteer position and everyday life. I also plan on including an element of critical reflective writing, thereby assessing my beliefs, values and biases and examine myself within a broader social context.