Mexico City, September 20, 2023.- The Interdisciplinary Group of Feminist Studies (GIEF) of the Universidad Panamericana held a panel discussion for the presentation of the book Person-Centered Feminism. From Theory to RealityThe book "Feminismo centrado en la persona. De la teoría a la realidad" (From Theory to Reality), a work in which around 25 professors from the university and members of the GIEF participated.
Present at the table were Dr. María José García Castillejos, director of the Panamericana Women's High School; María Eugenia Cárdenas Cisneros, from Universidad Anáhuac; Dr. Virginia Aspe Armella, research professor at Panamericana; and Dr. José Alberto Ross Hernández, director of the Institute of Humanities, who presented the book and discussed the chapters that comprise it.
GIEF's feminist position
To begin the discussion, Dr. Ross pointed out that the book: "It is a very well cared for text, because it is a text born of dialogue (...)". He then went on to talk about the first two chapters, about which he said: "(...) they are reflections centered on concepts that offer the intellectual coordinates of the GIEF proposal".
He also mentioned the definition of feminism on which the book works, and on which the GIEF bases its foundation, which is the proposal of the American philosopher Prudence Allen: "Feminism is the organized thinking and actions aimed at removing the obstacles that prevent women, as women, from becoming what a human being or a human person really is and can become".
Training to transform
María Eugenia Cárdenas, director of the Anáhuac Center for Leadership and Comprehensive Graduate Education, then presented the third and fourth chapters: "The Paradox of Women's Invisibility. Regarding the third chapter, Cárdenas commented that she found "critical perspectives in three major fields: gender, feminist theories, work and reproduction".
While, from the fourth chapter, he could appreciate "a strong contrast between the harsh reality that deals with violence against women and a creative alternative, called 'artivism'. (...) Two chapters to read and reflect on and, undoubtedly, a call to action to commit ourselves more to the theme of training to transform", she said.
Ms. Cárdenas also took the opportunity to congratulate the authors of these chapters, of whom she said: "they are experts in asking big, uncomfortable, but pertinent and relevant questions. They show a fine critical thinking and with courage, rigor and audacity they present approaches that are usually avoided".
Being able to think
Afterwards, Dr. Virginia Aspe, reflected: "This is a brave, mature book that takes a stance". She also pointed out: "The key we have to learn in the gender issue, in today's politics, is to learn to distinguish, not to take sides and make dichotomies; because robust philosophical reflection is precisely that, which is capable of thinking".
She then addressed chapter 5: "Women and motherhood". She talked about how the authors analyze the way in which motherhood has been approached as a symmetry, in which women have to bear most of the burden of childbearing.
Likewise, they talk about motherhood as oppressive and liberating. "They ask themselves whether motherhood is an instinct or a construct of culture and resolve the dilemmas in an intelligent way, because they don't opt for one or the other," she said.
As for chapter 6, she described it as uncomfortable because of the fact that the topic is so true and little addressed, "since it goes straight to the heart of the matter," she said, explaining that it talks about inequality in academic groups and in the classroom, and how the world of work has been a very strong problem for women .
The need for different feminist groups
Finally, Dr. María José García spoke: "It is an honor to have those who, like us, defend women from different trenches and through this text," she said on behalf of the authors of the book. In this way, she recounted the way in which the work came about, which was through the need to publish a text with the conceptual foundations of the GIEF's proposal.
She also explained how each of the authors was moved by a different concern, so that "the aim of the text is to raise awareness of how necessary it is to have feminist groups that are different, and how important it is to have university feminist groups," she concluded.
Person-Centered Feminism. From theory to reality arises from an interest in creating a cultural offer from hope, taking as its main foundation the dignity that all people have for the fact of existing.
