Contribution short abstract:

This paper examines the interplay between gender identity and gender consciousness, exploring how feminist anthropology can address systemic inequalities and collective struggles. Using personal insights and the femicide discourse in Italy, it highlights feminist commons as transformative practices.

Contribution long abstract:

Feminist anthropology has long challenged hegemonic knowledge production and envisioned hopeful futures. However, its potential to address systemic inequalities and foster collective transformation can be strengthened by examining the interplay between gender identity and gender consciousness. This paper advocates for a nuanced approach that bridges individual experiences with structural critiques, emphasizing the importance of both dimensions for the future of feminist anthropology.

Drawing on personal reflections, I explore how structural inequalities shaped my gender consciousness, even as I struggled with gender identity categories. This perspective underscores the value of integrating identity and consciousness to re-engage with systemic power dynamics and shared struggles, fostering solidarity within feminist anthropology.

The evolving framing of femicide in Italy illustrates this shift. Previously tied to "honor killings" and patriarchal social capital, femicides are now individualized as "crimes of passion," obscuring their structural roots. Activists’ advocacy for the term "femicide" highlights these killings as products of patriarchal systems, exemplifying feminist commons in action.

This paper calls for feminist anthropology to embrace un/commoning practices by intertwining personal experiences with systemic critique. Awareness of these interconnected dimensions and re-politicizing gender through this lens strengthen feminist anthropology’s transformative potential and its contribution to creating feminist commons.