Human and productive processes of women in Nacarare, Guazapares, Chihuahua.

Abstract

The research focused on the sembrador@s (planters) collective, whose members referred to the Sowing Life Program (Sembrando Vida, SV). The objective of this study was to describe, from the perspective of social actors, how the SV program reached the Nacarare community and the ways in which it has impacted their living conditions, the empowerment of women, and the promotion of networks and social capital. The study was qualitative, using phenomenological, hermeneutic, analytical, and synthetic methods. The data collection techniques were interviews and direct observation; the unit of analysis was the individuals comprising the collective, made up of fifteen indigenous women, six mestizo women, four indigenous men, and two mestizo women. The results show that social capital was fostered in terms of the trust generated between community members and the outreach to other groups, creating networks of relationships, the presence of gender equity among the members of sembrador@s, and the acceptance of female leadership. Likewise, the equitable organization and neutralization of certain sexist models generated significant changes in the development of the locality and improved the living conditions of its members. The Nacarare collective demonstrated the empowerment of women through the SV program; they became key agents of economic, environmental, and social change in their community.