This volume addresses the question of why issues of rights and democracy have become so central to women's movements in post-transition Latin America. As important actors in the struggle for democracy, women's movements moved from being an oppositional force to one forging new strategies to promote gender justice. The international attention focused on human rights in the 1990s, along with the recognition accorded to women's rights, provided a favorable opportunity for women's movements to advance ideas of inclusive citizenship and to broaden the meaning of rights. The nine country-based chapters assess critically the innovative strategies pursued by Latin American women's movements in their struggle to incorporate rights into the different domains of social and political life. Together they cover a range of countries and political contexts, analyzing specific bodies of rights and campaigns for legal reform:these include rights of political representation, labor rights, reproductive rights, socioeconomic rights, rights and ethnicity, and rights to protection against domestic violence.

This volume assesses one of the most important developments in contemporary Latin American women's movements: the engagement with rights-based discourses. Organised women have played a central role in the continued struggle for democracy in the region and with it gender justice. The foregrounding of human rights, and within them the recognition of women's rights, has offered women a strategic advantage in pursuing their goals of an inclusive citizenship. The country-based chapters analyse specific bodies of rights: rights and representation, domestic violence, labour rights, reproductive rights, legal advocacy, socio-economic rights, rights and ethnicity, and rights, the state and autonomy.

This text provides a comprehensive view of women's political participation in Latin America. Focusing on the latter half of the 20th century, it examines five different arenas of action and debate - political institutions, workplaces, social movements, revolutions and feminisms. Nikki Craske explores the ways in which women have become more effective in the public arena as the context of politics has altered. The author demonstrates how gender relations shape political institutions and practices, whilst simultaneously being shaped by them. Craske examines the moments when women's action has challenged received ideas, and had a significant impact on the political life of Latin American nations. However, she also illustrates that while political spaces can be fashioned in moments of transition and crisis, these spaces are often diminished as normality resumes, and lasting gains are difficult to achieve. Women remain heavily under-represented in political life, despite their important role in popular movements against authoritarianism. Craske makes it clear that the economy is a substantial constraint on women's political participation.

This book provides a comprehensive view of women's political participation in Latin America. Focusing on the latter half of the twentieth century, it examines five different arenas of action and debate: political institutions, workplaces, social movements, revolutions and feminisms. Nikki Craske explores the ways in which women have become more effective in the public arena as the context of politics has altered.

The author demonstrates how gender relations shape political institutions and practices, whilst simultaneously being shaped by them. Craske examines the moments when women's action has challenged received ideas, and had a significant impact on the political life of Latin American nations. However, she also illustrated that while political spaces can be fashioned in moments of transition and crisis, these spaces are often diminished as 'normality' resumes, and lasting gains are difficult to achieve. Women remain heavily under-represented in political life, despite their important role in popular movements against authoritarianism. Craske makes it clear that the economy is a substantial constraint on women's political participation. As the Latin American economy undergoes radical restructuring, it has an impact both on women's ability to participate and the state's ability to respond.

This powerful book analyses the gains made since the 1950s, whilst scrutinizing the challenges and difficulties which still constrain women's political participation.