Sisters Ximena (GSAS’16) and Paula Vial have launched their book entitled “Diosas de lo Íntimo – Oráculos de la Memoria Familiar” (Goddesses of the Intimate – Oracles of Family Memory), which was one of the winning projects to receive funding from the Santiago Center under its COVID-19 Research Projects initiative.
The book compiles ten stories of diverse women in Chile. “This is an important milestone considering the times we’re living in right now, as a record during this pandemic of the role that women have played in this health emergency,” Ximena said during the book launch (watch the video here). “I’d like to thank the women we interviewed, who, apart from spending their time with us and sharing the intimate stories of their lives, allowed us to capture a perspective of the narrative that has largely been forgotten until now.”
“Participating in and supporting private lives has always been part of the feminine world. We felt that a record of what women have always done, which has been undervalued but has become clear during this pandemic, was missing,” she added. “The main idea of this book is to document who women are in Chile in different contexts—racial, ethnic, social, and economic—and how they make essential contributions to the country from both public and private spaces.”
The launch was held online. “We would have preferred this event to be in person, especially considering that the book is called ‘Diosas de lo Íntimo.’ But we’ve tried to make this Zoom call as warm and intimate as possible,” Ximena noted.
