Fabrina Acosta Contreras: Driving Feminism with Technology in LatAm
Fabrina, a fellow from Cohort 4 of the Propel Fellowship and founder of EvasyAdanes, has spent over 10 years advocating for women's rights, changing the mindsets of over 7,000 Colombians.
Born in La Guajira, Colombia, Fabrina grew up in an environment she describes as "marked by sexism." From childhood, she witnessed the inequalities women faced in her surroundings, which fueled her dedication to academic feminism.
She founded EvasyAdanes in 2010, an organization focused on defending women's rights, promoting ethnic and decolonial feminism in Latin America. She says, "We dared to talk about uncommon concepts in our environment, when gender issues weren't as widely discussed in the media."
With an innovative intersectional perspective, EvasyAdanes creates spaces to promote gender pedagogies that combine cultural and artistic aspects of the Wayuu culture. Through podcasts and digital books, they advocate for women's rights in the area and educate the population about them.
"It's not just about fighting for women's rights, but making them aware that they deserve them and empowering the entire population of La Guajira to believe in their power to fight for them”.
For Fabrina, the most important aspect of EvasyAdanes' content is its focus on rural feminism. She says, "We aim to engage in academic and well-argued activism, but bring it to life and contextualize it for the people of our territory," in collaboration with local and international institutions. This has led to unique proposals such as their Forum-Concert: Women in Vallenato or the Forum: Weaving Transformation for La Guajira.
Fabrina joined the Propel Fellowship in 2023 to strengthen her leadership with new digital tools and reach more people. She considers her experience a "powerful opening" that pushed her to embrace new experiences and dream bigger.
"Embracing the digital world opens up infinite opportunities that once seemed distant. As we open up spaces to digital power in Latin America, especially in Colombia and its regions, we will strengthen our causes”.
Because of her work, Fabrina has been recognized as one of the most influential young people by JCI Colombia in 2018 and as an Iconic Woman by WEF in 2023, and EvasyAdanes received the Highest Distinction from the Legal Commission for Women in Congress.
Fabrina advises other women social leaders to create impacts and seize every opportunity to promote change in their communities.
Join the waitlist for our Fellowship to boost your social organization and leadership like Fabrina's here.
