Exploring relational agency in feminist transnational encounters

Abstract  

This article explores the concept of relational agency framed by feminist liberation psychology and body politics. Taking a feminist epistemological and methodological stance, we analyse agency in moments of embodied female pain—breast cancer and the risk of miscarriage. We reflected on our own embodied experiences and encounters in Guatemala and in international feminist networks. The transfeminist encounters allowed us to discover how, even in experiences of trauma and vulnerability, individual bodies are politicised, regulated and subjected to social expectations. We examined embodied pain and loss of agency through the feminist methodologies of storytelling, reflection, and reflexivity. We argue that women's relational agency can be seen as integral to resilience, collectively shaped through shared life stories, honest reflections on differences, and togetherness in discomfort. Our narratives, integral to gender and development, underscore the significance of future projects. Recognizing our interconnectedness and shared vulnerability, we advocate for emancipatory practices to overcome oppression. Additionally, we explore activating resistance mechanisms and fostering intentional, reciprocal relationships for individual and social transformation within empowerment processes.

Keywords

Relational agency, feminist liberation psychology, transnational feminism, body politics, embodied pain, feminist knowledge production.

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