Companeras, by Hilary Klein

Description

Compañeras is the untold story of women’s involvement in the Zapatista movement, the indigenous rebellion that has inspired grassroots activists around the world for over two decades. Gathered here are the stories of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters who became guerrilla insurgents and political leaders, educators and healers—who worked collectively to construct a new society of dignity and justice. Compañeras shows us how, after centuries of oppression, a few voices of dissent became a force of thousands, how a woman once confined to her kitchen rose to conduct peace negotiations with the Mexican government, and how hundreds of women overcame engrained hardships to strengthen their communities from within.

Hilary Klein lived in Chiapas, Mexico, for several years, where she worked with women’s projects in Zapatista communities. After she edited a book of Zapatista women’s testimonies to be circulated in their own villages, women in the Zapatista leadership suggested that Klein compile a similar book for an outside audience. Klein has been engaged in social justice and community organizing for twenty years. She currently works at Make the Road New York, a membership organization that builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities.