A Praxis of Persistence: Central American Feminist Testimony and Sustainable Activism

Examines feminist strategies of persistence and adaptation in Central America from the 1980s to 2020. A Praxis of Persistence establishes persistence as a framework for understanding methods of feminist activism in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Blending literary and ethnographic approaches, Kenna Neitch analyzes texts produced by activist movements from the 1980s to 2020 – from collective testimonio to institutional publications (encuentros) to social media – and connects them to the movements’ cultural impact and organizing practices, such as generative conflict, horizontal cross-border networks, and what she terms strategic adaptability. What these texts and practices have in common, Neitch argues, is feminist persistence – a balance of action, preservation, and creation adaptable across contexts. A Praxis of Persistence provides one of the first scholarly accounts of #MeToo in Central America while remaining grounded in the region’s lineage of activism against sexual violence. Through the framework of persistence, this book highlights the vitality of Central American women’s activism and offers a repertoire of methods for reckoning with the realities of uneven progress in feminist struggle.