Critical feminist pedagogy and popular consultancy

The experience of the Interdisciplinary Working Group for Women (GRITAM)

Abstract

The article aims to present the theoretical contribution of bell hooks in the fields of education, critical pedagogy, and feminist theory. It connects the work of hooks to the experience of the Interdisciplinary Working Group for Women, a project that is part of the Legal Assistance Center (SAJU) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), and that dedicates to defending the rights of cisgender, transgender and travesti women who are victims of gender violence. The article uses a both inductive and deductive methodological approach and employs literature review and experience report. The main argument suggests that the academic experience under analysis, by dealing with gender violence and women’s rights through an intersectional perspective, constitutes a process of feminist politization and a critical pedagogical practice that take place inside the university. By last, it argues that these phenomena are favored by two main elements. First, the object of work, which is defending women’s rights; second, by the structure of work, based on interdisciplinary and student protagonism.