ABSTRACT

Drawing on contributions from the literature on social movements and participation and feminist political theories, the article discusses the double challenge posed by the unfulfilled promises of liberal democracies and the advancement of illiberal and authoritarian alternatives. The reading of what is at stake in the normality and crisis of democracies is made from the voices of Brazilian feminist and anti-racist leaders, based on interviews we carried out in 2023. The interviews allowed us to access a concrete dimension of democracy, while lived experience, which is expressed in the relationships of these women and the organizations in which they work with the Brazilian State. From this perspective, the analyzes highlight the tension between structure and situation: the view that the State has historically been violent and exclusionary towards women, particularly black, indigenous and trans women, and the view that the political situation matters because it can improve or worsen the conditions under which the State is contested. The tension between structure and situation guides the construction of strategies and disputes for democracy.

KEYWORDS:
Feminist movements; Democracy; Crisis; Brazil