Reflecting on Translation: Resignifying Pachamama and Feminism

Abstract

The terminological translation of Pachamama as Mãe Terra in Portuguese, or Mother Earth in English, evokes, to some extent, a millenary cultural-mystical-religious tradition, originating in Latin America, which is inherent to the term. Thus, a certain defragmentation of these ancestral values is accomplished, and new terminological attributes are contextually articulated to the current process of globalization. This conjunction directly affects women’s rights around the world. In this context, this article takes as its foundation Christiane Nord’s functionalist theory for a translational analysis of the term Pachamama, correlated to the field of gender studies and to women’s rights. We analyze this new process of re-signification of a culture centered around Mother Earth, and its direct impact on women’s rights. We also investigate whether there is some reciprocity towards women’s movements, and if there are coincidences between these theoretical grounds and women’s empowerment principles, as articulated by the United Nations. Finally, we question whether its use deconstructs the meaning of gender, as it has been articulated in the West and institutionalized by the UN.