Women’s solidarity as feminism in action: the concept of sisterhood (sororidad) in #LasRespondonas, a Facebook group in Peru

ABSTRACT

Women in Peru are exposed on a daily basis to gender violence and exclusion. Several feminist groups have used social media to share information, debate, denounce, organize, and provide help to victims. This study analyzes the meaning of female solidarity, sisterhood or sororidad (using the Spanish term), as a feminist political concept among members of one feminist Facebook group. We reviewed how various feminist and sisterhood concepts are clustered together in group communications by analyzing publications and comments and even interviewing key current and former group members. We find the concept of sororidad to be central to feminist practice as it is a bridge between theory and politics. Moreover, it is viewed as a kind of ‘internal repertoire’ of the feminist movement, as a way to interact with other movement members (or comrades, partners, or sisters).

KEYWORDS:

• Feminism
• social media
• Facebook
• Peru
• sisterhood
• sororidad

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Translation of the key terms used to identify posts for analysis: ‘political sororidad,’ ‘feminism and sororidad,’ ‘political feminism,’ ‘sororidad,’ ‘it is not sororidad,’ ‘victim and sororidad,’ and ‘I believe you’ (referring to the importance of believing the victim)

2 Translation of Figure 3:

#HelpBacktalker

Compis [comrades], a friend needs a live-in maid to take care of the household and her 9-year-old boy in Chorrillos.

Do you have any recommendations?

Thanks!

3 Translation of the facebook post about Medusa myth (Figure 4):

MEDUSA WAS INNOCENT.

Medusa was raped by Poseidon, one of the three most powerful gods. She couldn't do anything and no one could have defended her.

In punishment for losing her virginity, Athena, the goddess she served, transformed her into a monster that turned men to stone when they looked her in the eye.

In punishment for turning men to stone, the same gods who caused her misfortune sent Perseus to behead her. Then Athena put her head on her war shield so she might become invincible.

In this myth, Poseidon is the male rapist who uses his status and power to get his way, no one judged him.

Athena, is the woman of the patriarchal society, who without any sisterhood, on the one hand harshly judges the raped woman and on the other uses her death as an emblem for her own benefit.

Perseus, for having murdered the outraged woman, far from being judged as a perpetrator of femicide, was made king and went down in history as a legendary hero.

Medusa was always, again and again, the victim, but she, she is the monster …