| |
| author |
Kassel Franco Garibay
| | title |
Falling Through the Cracks: Invisibility and Rural Women in Ecuador's Comunas
| | abstract |
When laws and development programs are written in a "gender-neutral" fashion women
are always left out of the conversation, Ecuador's communal land system is no exception.
In this thesis it is argued the comuna structure contributes to the invisibilization of non-
indigenous rural women living in Ecuador's communal lands. Overlooked by the
government, development programs, and academic research alike, the comuneras remain
invisible in theory and in reality; the thesis is a first step in bringing the women into the
literature. Through exploring the history and context of Ecuador's Ley de Régimen y
Organización de las Comunas as well as the genealogy of feminist theories of
development, the thesis highlights the ways in which the comuna structure invisibilizes
and silences non-indigenous rural women. Based on participant observation and
interviews with Ecuador's comuneras in the Santa Elena Peninsula, the thesis exposes a
gap in the existing literature, proposes themes to be explored in future research on
Ecuador's comunas, and makes a case for a participatory approach in feminist
development theory.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.A. (2020)
|
| advisor |
Wendy Kolmar
|
| committee |
Carlos Yordan
Maria Masucci
|
| full text | KFrancoGaribay.pdf |
| |
