Eli
Quito
-
Ecuador
"If I were in charge , I would transform absolutely everything. I would propose community-based democracies that put life at the center and guarantee dignified living conditions for all."
"I draw a redline against structural inequality and patriarchal violence. I draw a redline against silencing of diverse women, Indigenous peoples, and nationalities."
"I draw a redline against structural inequality and patriarchal violence. I draw a redline against silencing of diverse women, Indigenous peoples, and nationalities."
I became an activist when silence was no longer an option, when I could no longer accept violence, and when my son was born. I decided to act to change my reality.
My activism focuses on offering support from a feminist and anti-racist perspective as a liberating practice.
My greatest challenges are gender-based violence and racism, which disproportionately affect my community. Also, structural violence and economic inequality, which affect us all as workers.
I am inspired by the political hope I find in working with my friends and fellow activists. I am inspired to keep going by my son's life, and the possibility of seeing Black children live with dignity. The belief that other worlds are possible inspires me to keep going.
Eli is a gender non-conforming Afro-Ecuadorian woman from Esmeraldas: an anti-racist feminist, neurodivergent educator, sociologist, mother, and caregiver.
Eli is an activist for dignified lives, relationality, and the sovereignty of peoples.
Eli is also a researcher at the Platforms Observatory (OdP) of Ecuador, a collaborative space for researchers, activists, and platform workers. From a feminist ethical perspective, the OdP makes visible the working conditions of digital platforms and builds sensitive, embodied, collective dialogues to generate critical analysis and dismantle inequality.
Meet The Photographer
Cris Vega
I approach photography as an act of conscious observation and responsibility, a commitment to visual honesty, memory, and showing humanity even in the most challenging moments. Every image I take is a way to document, understand, and communicate reality.
Throughout my career, I have collaborated with major international media and organizations such as Agence France-Presse (AFP), Reuters, UNICEF Ecuador, the European Union, The Times of London, among others. I dedicate my work to documenting stories that reflect identity, the strength of women, the traditions of indigenous communities, and social realities that need visibility. Each photograph seeks to foster understanding of human rights and bring viewers closer to perspectives that often remain unseen.
Being the mother of two daughters has deepened my vision and professional commitment, reminding me of the importance of documenting with sensitivity and responsibility. My approach combines a conscious eye and narrative clarity, aiming to show the world with respect and authenticity, and to bring viewers closer to stories that deserve to be understood.
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