Confronting the crisis in Latin America: women organizing for change seeks to examine the effects on that continent of the profound economic, social and political crisis of the past several years, particularly its effects on the lives of women in the region.

A series of articles prepared by women researchers organized by DAWN explores how the crisis and the policies enacted by governments to confront it have changed the living conditions of women. In particular, the authors show how women’s fulfillment of their traditional role as provider of basic family needs has left them overworked and poor. They also examine how women’s subordination has aggravated the effects of the crisis in their lives. These issues are analyzed as they occur in different facets of women’s lives, in distinct countries and among women of different social classes.

The analysis presented here, however, shows not only the effects of the crisis and government policies on women, but also reveals how women have responded by creating new forms of participation in many types of organizations, among them subsistence organizations and the feminist movement.

This publication was coordinated by Development Alternatives With Women for a New Era (DAWN) whom we thank for the opportunity to disseminate their thoughts through our Women’s Book Series. We also thank Virgínia Vargas, Director of the Centro de la Mujer Peruana, Flora Tristán and coordinator of the “Women’s Movements and Visions of the Future” Program of DAWN, who compiled this publication.

We hope that “Confronting the Crisis”, Women’s Book Series 1988/2, contributes to a greater understanding of these issues and encourages new ways of achieving development in Latin America which take into account women’s needs for justice and equality.

Isis International Team, December 1988