Since starting the movement in March 1992, María Galindo, Juliete Paredes and Mónica Mendoza made their goal to fight against all forms of oppression, and particularly against sexist, homophobic and political oppression. Since then, many women have joined their fight.

Art and provocation to shake up society

They act in different ways: making use of public space, organizing street demonstrations, and working with humor, provocation, and poetry. For instance, Indian women in traditional dress once handed out anti-racist pins at the door of an up-scale shop, and lesbian women slept on a bed set up in the middle of the street. These are just some of many ways that the organization uses public space to denounce racism, but also sexual, institutional, and family violence that are pervasive in Bolivian society.

Through these attention-grabbing demonstrations, Mujeres Creando has succeeded in gaining importance in Bolivian society and is playing a major role in the populist struggle. Their success in Bolivian public space is above all thanks to the grafiteadas, which is a mixture of artistic and political ( pintadas ) graffiti, often ironic and always with a powerful message, which started to appear on walls in La Paz in 1993, when Bolivia was in the middle of a presidential campaign. Considering “creativity and art to be the principal tools to transform society,” Mujeres Creando sees these grafiteadas as a unique means of communication and a tool for effectively creating change.

A strong and silent engagement

In 2002, Mujeres Creando strongly supported a group of women cheated by a bank that had offered them a plan for micro-credit lending. Together, they held a demonstration, holding a sit-in at an important administrative center in La Paz. For the first time in Bolivian history, women were allowed to discuss the problem with a lawyer and the bank manager, in order to find a solution together. This was a huge step forward for the recognition of women’s rights, which they had been looking forward to for so long.

A very active organization, Mujeres Creando has begun to publish Mujer Pública [1]. This periodical highlights the positions the organization takes on the political situation, as well as on daily life for women. But that’s not all. Between 1999 and 2006, the women also put out books on their experience as activists, edited poetry anthologies, and published essays on feminist organizations and sexuality. In short, they are overflowing with ideas. In addition, a film, Creando Mujeres, also came out of their work. Filmed on the street, the movie shows the women of the movement and their actions. Last but not least, in 2004 the women started a self-managed house in La Paz, called Virgen de los deseos [2], a space built for them, but largely open to the public. The house resembles a cooperative, which responds to various needs: classes, medical consultations, and counseling for women in difficult situations.

Today, fifteen years after being founded, Mujeres Creando is more active than ever. The biggest cities in the country, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Oruro, and Tarija, all have chapters. The movement is also recognized internationally and is regularly invited to present its work in museums, galleries, and cultural centers around the world.

Also read: Résonances Latin America N°13 - April 2007