Participation of black women in productive projects in Bojayá, Chocó: problems, resistance, and possibilities

Abstract

This article intends to inquire about the different instances of participation of black women from the communities of La Loma, Piedra Candela and Pogue in Bojayá (Chocó, Colombia). The text analyzes, on the one hand, the way in which black women take part in productive and rural development projects and initiatives, and on the other, the narratives and perspectives that main- tain these productive development initiatives, as well as the practices and sociocultural and economic structures that these projects reproduce or legitimize. Supported in different general meet- ings, workshops, and semi-structured interviews with black women from these communities, this paper reviews and critiques the concepts of development, gender, and ethnicity to the extent that their connection with welfare and productive projects in the region is problematic. First, it is shown that many of these projects are based on developmentalist and colonial conceptions, but also patriarchal insofar as they conceive a representation of black women as passive and victims of socioeconomic conditions, and sec- ond, that the projects have basic problems given they: are formulated in a generic way; do not take into account the perspectives of the wom- en themselves -either leaders or members of the communities; are not relevant to the territory; and do not have continuity, which is why they quickly end up in disappointing. Nevertheless, black women assume these productive projects as possibilities for change and, therefore, expect positive and effective impact in the medium and long term regarding the improvement of their living conditions. The article concludes with the new opportunities and possibilities that open for women thanks to the appropriation and circulation through non-domestic spaces, the new instances of participation and decision-making, and with the achievement of financial independence.