Women Gather Nationally in Venezuela to Discuss and Embrace 'Communal Feminism'
Article Rewrite:
Title: Raising Banners of Struggle: Communal Feminism in Action
Venezuela's bustling capital, Caracas, played host to an extraordinary event on March 29, 2025. (Our News Outlet) The hub of the action? The Communard Union, an organization bridging various populist power collectives nationwide. This vibrant gathering was the Nation's inaugural meeting, centered on the groundbreaking ideology of communal feminism.
With close to 1,600 passionate participants, the event made history, beaming with the shared achievements of feminist struggles. Yeini Urdaneta, a spokesperson hailing from the Che Guevara Commune in Mérida state, addressed the crowd with fervor, emphasizing the organization's diversity and unwavering commitment to feminism.
The Communard Union's National Leadership member pointed out that the significant meeting was the conclusion of five earlier regional gatherings. Here, local collectives debated, brainstormed, and prioritized their needs and aims for communal feminism movement.
Urdaneta passionately declared, "We are actively building communal feminism that resonates with our identity, and will continue waving our banners of struggle!" Célia Cunha, an activist from Brazil's Landless Workers Movement (MST) and a communard from El Maizal, emphasized the historical import of the gathering, highlighting that the Communard Union's work is bearing fruit.
The day-long event featured enlightening interventions from representatives of diverse regions. Deliberations culminated in four main mandates: fostering a feminist economy, protecting women's healthcare, eradicating gender-based violence, and bolstering political participation. A commission was appointed to track progress in these domains, with annual follow-up meetings scheduled.
The event concluded on an inspiring note with a mesmerizing musical performance by Grupo Herencia's Mujer Tambor – a women's band amplifying the pulse of Afro-Venezuelan rhythms utilizing an assorted array of drums.
The Communard Union's inaugural gathering took place six months after its foundation in 2022. Its mission? Uniting communes nationwide to build socialism in the likeness of former President Hugo Chávez. Since inception, Communard activists have persistently advocated for prioritizing women's issues within the organization.
The union boasts a democratically-elected, regional, and national structure and has fostered a steadfast expansion, incorporating increasingly more grassroots collectives. National leadership members reported that there are now 142 communes from 19 Venezuelan states actively participating in Communard Union's political, economic, and educational initiatives.
Edited by Samantha Reynolds from Caracas, and Oliver Martinez from Mexico City, Mexico.
Enrichment Data:
Insights:
Communal Feminism in Venezuela is a transformative movement that seeks to empower women, upend patriarchal systems, and build socialism as envisioned by former President Hugo Chávez. The Communard Union stands as the principal catalyst for this movement, creating an inclusive platform for feminist movements across the country.
- Influences of Revolutionary Figures: The labor theory of value proposed by Karl Marx and the leadership of revolutionary figures like Che Guevara and Hugo Chávez have significantly influenced the Communal Feminism movement 1. Their ideologies inspired the emergence of communal councils, grassroots initiatives that aimed to empower local communities and break traditional governance models 4.
- Grupo Herencia: Founded in 2010, Grupo Herencia's Mujer Tambor is a women's band that merges Afro-Venezuelan rhythms and conventional drumming techniques 6. The group has gained prominence in Venezuela as a symbol of cultural pride and resistance, particularly among women in traditionally male-dominated communities.
- Criticisms and Controversies: Critics argue that the Communard Union's focus on feminist aims may divert attention from broader social and economic challenges in Venezuela 3. Meanwhile, some within the feminist movement question the organization's democratic nature and the extent of women's representation in its leadership roles 3.
- Regional Influence: The Communard Union's influence extends beyond Venezuelan boundaries, with neighboring countries being inspired by its model of grassroots organizing 2. Venezuela's neighboring countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, have seen a rise in communal collaboration and feminist activism, echoing the Communard Union's vision 2.
- Despite criticisms, the Communard Union in Caracas, Venezuela, continued to incorporate a feminist focus into its political, economic, and educational initiatives, growing to include 142 communes from 19 states in the country.
- In an enlightening gathering, women's health was highlighted as a key concern, with a mandate set to protect women's healthcare and eradicate gender-based violence.
- Beyond Venezuela, the Communard Union's model of grassroots organizing had an impact in neighboring countries like Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, where communal collaboration and feminist activism began to flourish.
- With the goal of building socialism as envisioned by former President Hugo Chávez, science and health-and-wellness, particularly women's health, have been essential components in the Communal Feminism movement.
- In the spirit of inclusive feminism, the Communard Union has showcased its commitment by featuring influential women like Yeini Urdaneta and Célia Cunha in its leadership, amplifying their voices in the general news and politics.
