The Impact of Feminist Civil Society Movements and NGOs on Gender Policies in Mexico

Citation:

Stevenson, Linda. 2004. “The Impact of Feminist Civil Society Movements and NGOs on Gender Policies in Mexico.” Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, September 2.

Author: Linda Stevenson

Abstract:

Is Mexico's democratization, including increased party competition and electoral reforms, helping women to gain more gender equality? Are women's advances in Mexico's institutional politics strengthening Mexico's democracy? This work shows that the procedural forms of democratization over the last three decades have indeed provided more political opportunities for policymaking on gender issues. And likewise, the response to the second question is also affirmative – women leaders in institutional politics and civil society have applied pressure to reduce presidentialist politics in Mexico, as well as spearheaded demands for change in multiple policy areas. However, the policy analysis presented here, which interrogates more complex political and policy processes related to the depth of democratization, reveals that the achievements of advocates of gender equality are limited primarily to symbolic gains in institutional politics. This has resulted in a growing discord between feminist ideals of equality, fair gender representation and broad citizens' participation, and the reality of a slow and uneven process of democratization in Mexico.

Topics: Democracy / Democratization, Feminisms, Gender, Women, Gender Equality/Inequality, Governance, Elections, Political Participation Regions: Americas, North America Countries: Mexico

Year: 2004