Agencia individual y colectiva en dirigentas sindicales de la industria de la minería en Chile: un análisis articulando perspectiva de las capacidades y género.

Abstract

This article approaches the issue of women´s union participation in a masculinized industry, such as mining in Chile, focusing on the question of agency, from the standpoint of Sen and Nussbaum's capabilities approach. Women´s union participation is an emerging phenomenon, both due to the recent quota regulations, which is pushing for a greater presence of women in trade unions, as well as the visibility acquired, although being a minority in trade unions. By using a qualitative methodology that involved the application of eleven in-depth interviews to union leaders and the triangulation of capabilities and gender approaches, we analyzed narrated experiences, which show the existence of inequalities, conflicts and gender discomforts, together with agency expressions. These translated into "freedom of agency", as getting what you want – is affected by the trade union quota or by training – and, secondly, into "achievement of agency", as the achievement of goals, being elected and staying in office -. The hypothesis that guides this article is that, in the masculinized industry of mining, the development of female leader’s agency, it is not a linear process and implies paradoxes and nuances, since achieved freedoms and goals are prominently anchored in an exceptional individual dimension. However, in its collective dimension, that is in an intra and inter women network which facilitates gender transformation processes, agency is weaker, manifested in fragile articulation and bonds of solidarity, which hinder the expansion of capabilities for all women in the sector.