We look at the culture of gendered violence in the US and Bolivia, and hear from feminists working to shift the perceptions about survivors. The recent reports of a woman’s harrowing night with Aziz Ansari has sparked debates around consent and agency. Feminist activists and scholars are pointing out the gaps in understanding of the relationship between sexual repression and sexual violence.
In the first half hour, we listen to an interview with Amita Swadhin, an activist, educator and Just Beginnings Collaborative Fellow dedicated to fighting interpersonal and sexual violence against youth. They spoke with KPFA’s Preeti Mangala Shekar of KPFA’s APEX Express about a vision for society in which everyone is capable of articulating their own desires and having them respected.
In the second half of the show, we hear from feminist activist and scholar Leny Olivera Rojas from Cochabamba, Bolivia. Today Bolivia has the highest rate of sexual and physical violence against women in Latin America – and femicides are multiplied by the numbers of women dying from illegal abortions. Olivera-Rojas is part of a grassroots movement to end femicides in Bolivia and create an autonomous womens movement through collective land ownership. For more information, contact her at [email protected].
Hosted by Kate Raphael and Corinne Smith