The importance of ancestral strategies in the conquest of citizen rights

Abstract

In rural sectors, various ancestral strategies are used to solve emerging problems in the communities. Among the most used strategies are the minga, the neighborhood organization, the food treat, among other activities that respond to the «uses and customs» of the community. The present study was carried out in the communes of Cubinche and Guaraquí, in La Esperanza parish, Pedro Moncayo canton, Pichincha Province. In these sectors, it was possible to investigate the active participation of women in the different ancestral strategies and the contribution they make in the communication networks, adherence, supply, collective work, among other activities that configure an original form of citizen participation, an alternative exercise of citizenship. Essentially, the research made it possible to show that peasant women gain rights through active participation in the daily life of the communes, despite the fact that machismo and discrimination still persist, limiting leaderships and obstructing effective participation in scenarios of local politics.