I do not have a romantic image of peace. Peace is a way of managing conflicts through dialogue, through the mediation of reasoning.
Every Friday, Marta Lamas Encabo eats with her chosen family: 12 women that come to her house. Her consanguineous mother, father and brother are dead. Choice is an important word in her life. She has established in Mexico the pro choice organization, the Group of Information on Chosen Reproduction (Gire). She writes, acts, thinks and debates.
Marta Lamas Encabo likes cats and books. She sleeps with both, the cats in her bed, the books beside her. She was born in Mexico City. She grew up in a family originating from Argentina, surrounded by material comfort and personal freedom. When I saw the contrast between Mexico and other places, it made me angry. I became politically radical when I was very young; I linked myself to the left and later on, to feminism. Singing gives her the most pleasure in life, but she decided, because of her social conscience, to dedicate herself to feminist politics. She is recognized as one of the most prominent figures in the fight for women’s rights in Mexico. She has been a staunch defender of women for three decades. Her most recent work has been focused towards the right to abortion. She believes that each person should have control over her own reproduction, and she believes that this is a basic freedom and a fundamental human right for women. We must try to change the law, build organizations and give information about a crucial matter like abortion. The other line that is very interesting for me to pursue is the intellectual work, the publishing. For that reason, I publish a magazine called Feminist Debate. Marta founded the Institute of Leadership Simone de Beauvoir, to train leaders for the women’s movement and for the feminist movement. She also founded Semillas A.C., an institution that searches for and supports projects for all sorts of women. She is a constant presence in the mass media, writing items concerning women’s lives. She is mentioned on the mass media on an average of ten times per month. She defines public opinion.
Grupo de Información en Reproducción Elegida (GIRE)
Latin America and the Carribeans | Mexico
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