Epistemic Ghosting: The Effacement of Feminist Activism through its Institutionalization and Commodification in Argentine Menstrual Activism

Abstract

In this article, we propose the concept of epistemic ghosting to describe problems that have arisen in the articulation between the menstrual activism campaign #MenstruAcción, the state and firms marketing menstrual hygiene materials in Argentina. The hypothesis we are trying to prove is that this articulation was not strong enough to acknowledge and fully leverage the knowledge developed by activists within the framework of the campaign for the benefit of the menstruating population, or to safeguard its emancipatory nature. This article defines the phenomenon of epistemic ghosting as the appropriation of the knowledge and symbolic discourse produced by activism and their subsequent effacement, showing how it operates in the institutionalization and commodification of Argentine menstrual activism. The ultimate aim is for the concept to be reappropriated into other contexts for its detection and solution.