Salta, a northwest province of Argentina, is known for its conservative and machista society. These characteristics, compounded by the fact that women hold a minority of legislative seats and are excluded from legislative leadership, mean that women's influence is limited in the Salta Chamber of Deputies. As one deputy put it: “There are 11 of us women, out of 60 legislators; that's very few. Salteños are very machista. The men are the ones in control; they leave you out for being a woman.” Thus, in order for women to have an influence in the chamber, they report that they have to work together – particularly when it comes to women's issues. “In the issues of gender, us women unite, if not we do not accomplish anything.”

Despite the need for collaboration, not all women are willing to work together. Multiple women who consider themselves champions of women's rights observe a lack of participation from their colleagues. One notes, “I was the deputy who worked the most in gender issues in this chamber, presenting legislative projects and reporting discrimination problems against women. There have been women who did not join me on this defense. And that is concerning.” She speculates about why women are not always willing to join her in defending women's rights and suggests that perhaps it is because “they are obeying a partisan mandate.” Another female deputy echoes her concerns about partisan constraints: “Not all women are willing to advance – maybe out of fear of losing their positions, their job. Maybe they say ‘I can't go against this government, or against my party's president.’ It is not easy, these battles are tough.”

These women's experiences illustrate the relationship between women's marginalized status in the legislature and their compromised ability to exert influence in the policy-making process. Given their lack of power, women view collaboration as a tool for overcoming marginalization and shaping policy. Still, deputies from Salta report that multiple factors limit collaboration among women.