The labour of women artisans in rural Mexico and the community Economies approach

Abstract

This article analyzes from the non-essentialist Marxist approach of community economies the gender practices of rural women and artisans organized to generate livelihoods in two latitudes of Mexico: Guerrero and Hidalgo. Ethnographic perspective is privileged on data collection and its analysis. To examine the contribution of women's work to households, groups and the community, gender is considered a relational and performative process. When exploring the contributions of research on the work of rural women and the public policy to promote their work, the role of actors and the strategies implemented are distinguished. Among the findings, the contributions of paid and unpaid work of women in the household and community support stand out. It is also emphasized the role of collective organization to promote spaces that value the work of rural women based on cultural and environmental practices intersected by gender. The restrictions they face in their work are also highlighted: excessive workload, limited access to means of production, their devaluation in the market and in households, and structural restrictions linked to the market. Finally, recommendations are suggested for public policy aimed at promoting the work of rural artisan women.