Two cities in one. Work, women, and economics in the Latin America city

Abstract

Neoliberalism and financialization of the economy have produced a transformation in labour markets, having an impact on the dualization of cities. The pandemic caused by COVID-19 deepened these processes, leaving women to pay the main costs. In this context, the right to the city was placed under discussion. This article will illustrate a specific case, the controversy that emerged in Mar del Plata and Batán (Party of General Pueyrredón, Argentina) due to the pandemic’s socioeconomic consequences, how these should be resolved, what status do the parties in the litigation have, and what was the role of women in this process. Central aspects will be discussed, such as the way in which the city reconfigures the process of expulsion from labour markets and the distribution of health, and how the CBEs (neighbourhood emergency committees) emerge as a setting for social antagonism. Finally, occupation and use of public space, the demand and transformation of institutions at the local level, and the political dimensions of resignification of cities will be analysed.