Since leftist president Hugo Chávez came to power in 1998, ordinary women
from the barrios, or shantytowns, of Caracas have become more engaged in politics at the
grass roots level. Given the use of images of black and poor women in Chávez’s
television campaigns; his creation of programs such as Barrio Adentro and Mission
Ribas, related to concerns that affect women such as health and education; and the
general politicization of the population in this movement; it is not surprising that women
from the barrios have become major protagonists in the current urban social movements
in Venezuela. But the majority of social movement leaders continue to be men and many
women activists still look towards the president himself as the source of direction and
inspiration. How can we explain this paradox of women’s increasing political
participation that has and continues to be generated under male directed and initiated
campaigns from above?
Despite male leadership and authority, the growing presence of women in local
committees, assemblies, and activism has created local spaces of participation that
challenge gender roles, collectivize private tasks, and create alternatives to male-centric
politics. But these spaces exist in dynamic tension with more vertical, populist notions of
politics that are especially prevalent in male dominated spaces such as trade unions or
state institutions. When poorer women enter male-dominated spheres, they are more
likely to encounter obstacles to their full participation.
Understanding the gendered dimensions of popular participation is crucial to an
analysis of the nature of urban social movements, especially the ways these movements
differ from traditional forms of political participation such as political parties and trade
unions. Scholars have created a range of theoretical frameworks for analyzing the
specific nature of women’s activism in popular sectors, showing that poorer women must
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