FEATURE24 May 2023

Lived experiences: Capturing the heritage of Ecuadorian women

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Katie McQuater

Features Impact Inclusion Latin America Leisure & Arts Public Sector Sustainability Trends

Peer-to-peer interviews have documented the rich heritage of black and Afro women in Ecuador, to recognise and share knowledge as part of an oral history project. By Katie McQuater

ecuadorian woman playing djembe

The Esmeraldas region of Ecuador is home to the country’s biggest Afro-descendant population, historically a marginalised community that suffers negative impacts from the extraction of natural resources from their territories.

Against a context of poverty and instability, a research collaboration between Northumbria University, the Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador, and black feminist arts organisation Mujeres de Asfalto Collective, sought to explore the heritage of black and Afro women living in Esmeraldas. This was done through participatory methodologies, with funding from The British Academy and the Global Challenge Research Fund’s heritage, dignity and violence fund.

The RECLAMA study began in late 2019, to explore ways in which heritage can be used to support sustainable and gender equitable development.
Katy Jenkins, professor in international development at Northumbria University’s Centre ...