From Human Rights to Emancipation: Four Decades of Feminist Movement Configurations in Latin America.

This article examines the evolution of feminist movements in Latin America over the past four decades, focusing on how changes in their organizational structures have influenced shifting conceptions of democracy and citizenship. Beginning in the 1980s as a minority faction within broader women's movements, Latin American feminists initially framed their demands within a human rights discourse linked to democratization struggles against authoritarian regimes. Over time, the movement diversified into a complex network of formal NGOs, grassroots collectives, transnational alliances, and governance actors, embracing intersectional perspectives that address systemic oppressions related to gender, race, class, and colonial histories. Recent mass mobilizations, such as the Ni Una Menos and Green Wave campaigns, have further articulated feminism as a project of emancipation from all forms of oppression, emphasizing bodily autonomy and inclusive democratic participation. The article highlights the movement's adaptability and heterogeneous organizational forms as central to its expanding influence on regional understandings of democracy, citizenship, and social justice.