Ailynn Torres Santana is a postdoctoral researcher at the International Research Group on Authoritarianism and Counter-Strategies (IRGAC) of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (2019-2022), a visiting researcher at the Freie Universität Berlin (2021), an associate researcher at FLACSO Ecuador (2019-2022), and a visiting scholar at Northwestern University – Chicago (fall 2021). She has been an associate professor at Universidad de la Habana (2006-2012) and visiting professor at Freie Universität Berlin (2021), FLACSO Ecuador (2016-2018, 2020-2022), Universidad de Barcelona (2015, 2018, 2022), and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (2018). In 2019 she was a visiting researcher at Harvard University. Her research interests include feminist movements, inequality, and citizenship in Latin America. She is editor of the books „Derechos en riesgo en América Latina: 11 estudios sobre grupos neoconservadores“ (Quito/ Bogotá: Fundación Rosa Luxemburgo/Desde Abajo, 2020) and „Los Cuidados: del centro de la vida al centro de la política“ (Santiago: FES-ILDIS, 2021). She has written lots of academic papers about gender inequalities and feminist politics in Latin America and Cuba. She has a column on OnCuba News and has collaborated with a lot of press platforms such as Jacobin-Lat, NACLA, and Sidecar-New Left Review. She is a member of the editorial boards of Cuban Studies (Harvard University) and Sin Permiso (Barcelona).
Latin America within the Global Authoritarian and Conservative Tide: A Feminist Lens
We face a regressive moment for rights and their guarantees worldwide, due to the universalization of authoritarian and conservative agendas and practices. Latin America is no exception to this phenomenon. That process is having specific negative consequences on women, primarily through reforms to labour and social policy; setbacks in the legalization or protection of sexual and reproductive rights; an increase in political violence; a lack of state commitment to gender institutionality; and displacements of communities due to extractive policies. Moreover, religious fundamentalist groups are expanding their impact on common sense and political institutions, and installing an anti-gender agenda. The context described is resisted by women’s organizations, which are gaining public presence, reclaiming historical demands for equality, and identifying new political urgencies and forms of militancy. The project proposes a regional and globally connected analysis of three fields: government measures, religious fundamentalisms, and feminist responses.
Publications
Torres Santana, Ailynn (2020) “Zonas de conflictos: América Latina en pospandemia”. Instituto de Estudios Culturales y Cambio Social. Available in: https://www.ieccs.es/2020/06/02/zonas-de-conflictos-america-latina-en-pospandemia/
Torres Santana, Ailynn (2020) “Pensar los cuidados en medio de la gran pandemia. Entrevista a Juliana Martínez Franzoni”. NUSO. Available in: https://nuso.org/articulo/pensar-los-cuidados-en-medio-de-la-gran-pandemia/
Torres Santana, Ailynn (2020) “La seguridad de las mujeres frente a la Covid-19: Nudos críticos para América Latina”. Available in:: http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/la-seguridad/16137.pdf
Torres Santana, Ailynn (2020) “The pandemic does not discriminate; inequalities do: women cushioning the crisis”. Available in: https://oncubanews.com/en/opinion/columns/no-filter/the-pandemic-does-not-discriminate-inequalities-do-women-cushioning-the-crisis/
Torres Santana, Ailynn and María José Espinosa (2020) “Cuban Policies to Confront the Covid-19 Pandemic”. Available in: https://issuu.com/wcapsnet/docs/cuba_s_policies_to_confront_the_covid-19_pandemic_/1?ff&showOtherPublicationsAsSuggestions=true&hideShareButton=true&fbclid=IwAR0y5g7B38zVnc1MZ2V2v8mAIZDXIES6K3l7vCHSQiUosVoMmIjz_vU_jCg
Torres Santana, Ailynn (2020) “Regímenes de bienestar en Cuba: mujeres y desigualdades”, en Cuban Studies, University of Pittsburgh Press, No.49.
Torres Santana, Ailynn (2020) “América Latina: alerta feminista”. Sin Permiso, 17, Bárcelona, pp. 161-192.
