From the “common pot” to collective action, the “Yela” women in Talca, 1980-1995

Abstract

In 1986, one of the first organizations was formed in Talca to combat domestic and sexual violence was created, Casa Yela. Conformed primarily by popular-sector women, this small NGO was able to establish its own battered women´s shelter in 1995. What most interests us in this article is the way in which Casa Yela was formed, on an endogenous and exogenous level, in terms of its configuration as a group and its insertion within a web of other organizations. Of particular interest to the specialized literature on social movements and popular-sector women, our study proposes that Casa Yela rose up against two main challenges during its development –a chronic lack of resources and a fluctuating relationship with the state. We will explore the ways in which Casa Yela navigated this situation and we will use this case study to sketch some ideas about the relationship between grassroots organizations and the state during the period of study.