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Defining a Democracy: Reforming the Laws on Women's Rights in Chile, 1990–2002

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Merike H. Blofield  and
Liesl Haas
Merike H. Blofield
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science at Grand Valley State University
Liesl Haas
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science at California State University, Long Beach
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Abstract

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This article evaluates 38 bills seeking to expand women's rights in Chile and finds that the successful ones often originated with the Executive National Women's Ministry (SERNAM), did not threaten existing definitions of gender roles, and did not require economic redistribution. These factors (plus the considerable influence of the Catholic Church) correlate in important ways, and tend to constrain political actors in ways not apparent from an examination of institutional roles or ideological identity alone. In particular, the Chilean left's strategic response to this complex web of interactions has enabled it to gain greater legislative influence on these issues over time.

Type
Research Article
Information
Latin American Politics and Society , Volume 47 , Issue 3 , Fall 2005 , pp. 35 - 68
Copyright
Copyright © University of Miami 2005

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