Women’s Activism and Feminism in the Chile Solidarity Movement

This dissertation studies the history of women’s activism and feminism through the lens of the Chile solidarity movement. It seeks to shed light on the transnational nature of feminism and women’s movements by exploring the organisations, networks, practices and ideas that became involved in—or emerged from—Chile solidarity politics. On the one hand, it looks at the involvement of women’s international organisations in Chilean solidarity, which built on practices of international solidarity and human rights activism developed well before the 1973 military coup. On the other hand, it delves into the case study of the British solidarity movement, exploring connections with the women’s movement (both in Chile and the UK) and the influence of feminist ideas and practices. As a result, the thesis shows the mutually reinforcing nature of Chilean solidarity politics and women’s activism in the 1970s and 1980s. Women’s activism fuelled the solidarity movement by introducing new concerns and participants to the campaigns involving Chile. The plight of Chilean women, the gendered dimension of human rights, women’s experiences of exile in the UK and elsewhere, and the gender dynamics of political organisations became key issues as female activists and feminists became increasingly involved in Chile solidarity. Furthermore, the study contends that the history and accounts of international solidarity and exile played a major role in the development of both women’s international activism and feminism in Britain. It shows how solidarity politics and the phenomenon of exile expanded women’s and feminist organising by including new actors and perspectives. All in all, the solidarity networks established by women’s international organisations, solidarity and human rights committees, women’s groups, and feminist activists show the complex interactions between the multiple layers of women’s transnational activism.