On April 22, 2026, the GWSS Department was pleased to welcome Ecuadoran lawyer and human rights activist Elizabeth Vásquez as the Earl and Edna Stice Feminist Scholar of Social Justice. Vásquez’s lecture explored how law can be reimagined as a collective and creative tool for social transformation through the concept of subversión desde dentro (“subversion from within”). She explained how legal paradoxes, loopholes, and alternative interpretations can be mobilized to challenge and reshape legal frameworks from the inside out.
Those attending the lecture were especially impressed with examples of Vásquez’s groundbreaking work to secure major legal and cultural changes in Ecuador pictured here, including constitutional provisions related to gender identity, family diversity, and aesthetic freedom. She ended her talk with reflections on her current collaboration with the Ecuadorian intersex movement.
While at the UW, Vásquez generously shared her time in conversations with GWSS undergraduate and graduate students alike. She built collaborations with local activists and with those engaged in the plurifeminisms initiative that will continue into the future.
Thank you to Eli for visiting our department and sharing these important insights!