 Autonomy is a foundational, albeit contested, concept in Latin American feminisms. It is a foundational concept to the extent that feminist identity has hinged on the conceptualization of autonomy.  However, how autonomy is defined has been widely debated as the term has been deployed in varying capacities. Autonomy has been used conceptually to forge alliances between women’s groups in Latin America that seek to eradicate gender-based oppression. It has also been used to avoid co-option by actors like political parties, NGO’s, the state, and funding agencies. The result is a tension between the retention of ideological and financial autonomy and the widening of feminisms’ scope and impact. Thus, the varying use of autonomy calls into question how it is being defined (Alvarez et al.  2003: 542).