Hostname: page-component-669899f699-g7b4s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-05-04T00:32:49.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Federalism and Subnational Legal Mobilization: Feminist Litigation Strategies in Salta, Argentina

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Alba Ruibal
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article draws from a qualitative study of feminist legal strategies in the province of Salta, Argentina, to put forth an argument about the impact of federalism on subnational legal mobilization in a nonindustrialized federal democracy. It argues that the federal architecture of the state can strengthen the ability of local legal activists to pursue litigation strategies, and that it can do so in two main ways: by fostering the institutional autonomy of government agencies and insider activists working for the defense of rights at the local level, and by facilitating the provision of external legal resources and support for local legal activists in civil society. The theoretical perspective connects two research agendas that have not yet been combined to explain feminist legal strategies in federal systems: legal mobilization studies and gender and federalism scholarship, and proposes nuances to both strands of research.

Type
Articles
Information
Law & Society Review , Volume 52 , Issue 4 , December 2018 , pp. 928 - 959
Copyright
© 2018 Law and Society Association.

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

References

Banaszak, Lee (2010) The Women's Movement Inside and Outside The State. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press.Google Scholar
Beer, Caroline (2006) “Judicial Performance and the Rule of Law in the Mexican States,” 48 Latin American Politics and Society 33–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bennett, Andrew & Checkel, Jeffrey (2015) “Process Tracing: From Philosophical Roots to Best Practices,” in Bennett, Andrew & Checkel, Jeffrey, eds., Process Tracing: From Metaphor to Analytic Tool. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press. 3–37.Google Scholar
Bill-Chávez (2003) “The Construction of the Rule of Law in Argentina: A Tale of Two Provinces,” 35 Comparative Politics 417–37.Google Scholar
Chappell, Louise (2000) “Interacting with the State: Feminist Strategies and Political Opportunities,” 2 International Feminist J. of Politics 244–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chappell, Louise (2002) Gendering Government: Feminist Engagement with the State in Australia and Canada. Vancouver: UBC Press.Google Scholar
Chappell, Louise & Costello, Mayet (2011) “Australian Federalism and Domestic Violence Policy-Making,” 46 Australian J. of Political Science 633–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chappell, Louise & Curtin, Jennifer (2012) “Does Federalism Matter? Evaluating State Architecture and Family and Domestic Violence Policy in Australia and New Zealand,” 43 Publius: The J. of Federalism 24–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collier, David (2011) “Understanding Process Tracing,” 44 Political Science & Politics 823–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Couso, Javier, Huneeus, Alexandra, & Sieder, Rachel, eds. (2010) Cultures of Legality: Judicialization and Political Activism in Latin America. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diani, Mario (1997) “Social Movements and Social Capital: A Network Perspective on Movement Outcomes,” 2 Mobilization 129–47.Google Scholar
Epp, Charles (1998) The Rights Revolution. Lawyers, Activists, and Supreme Courts in Comparative Perspective. Chicago: The Univ. of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Epp, Charles (2009) Making Rights Real: Activists, Bureaucrats, and the Creation of the Legalistic State. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esquivel, Juan Cruz (2014) “Religión y política en Argentina. La influencia religiosa en las Constituciones provinciales,” 6 Revista de Direito da Cidade 348–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feijoo, Maria del Carmen & Gogna, Mónica (1990) “Women in the Transition to Democracy,” in Jelin, Elisabeth, ed., Women and Social Change in Latin America. London, UK: Zed Books. 79–114.Google Scholar
Femenias, Maria Luisa (2005) “El feminismo académico en Argentina,” Labrys, estudos feministas, July.Google Scholar
Gargarella, Roberto, Villegas, Pilar Domingo, & Roux, Theunis, eds. (2006) Courts and Social Transformation. London, UK: Ashgate.Google Scholar
Gauri, Varun & Brinks, Daniel, eds. (2008) Courting Social Justice: Judicial Enforcement of Social and Economic Rights in the Developing World. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
George, Alexander & Bennett, Andrew (2005) Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.Google Scholar
Gervasoni, Carlos (2010) “A Rentier Theory of Subnational Regimes: Fiscal Federalism, Democracy, and Authoritarianism in the Argentine Provinces,” 62 World Politics 302–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillman, Howard & Clayton, Cornell (1999) “Beyond Judicial Attitudes. Institutional Approaches to Supreme Court Decision-Making,” in Clayton, Cornell & Gillman, Howard, eds., Supreme Court Decision-Making: New Institutionalist Approaches. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. 1–14.Google Scholar
Hilson, Chris (2002) “New Social Movements: The Role of Legal Opportunity,” 9 J. of European Public Policy 238–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ingram, Matthew (2013) “Elections, Ideology, or Opposition? Assessing Competing Explanations of Judicial Spending in the Mexican States,” 29 J. of Law, Economics, and Organization 178–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jelin, Elizabeth (1994) “The politics of memory: The human rights movements and the construction of democracy in Argentina,” 21 Latin American Perspectives 38–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kohen, Beatriz (2009) “The Effectiveness of Legal Strategies in Argentina,” in Tobar, Marcela Ríos, et al., eds., Feminist Agendas and Democracy in Latin America. Durham: Duke Univ. Press. 84–145.Google Scholar
Lemaitre, Julieta & Sandvik, Kristin Bergtora (2015) “Shifting Frames, Vanishing Resources, and Dangerous Political Opportunities: Legal Mobilization among Displaced Women in Colombia,” 49 Law & Society Rev. 5–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levitsky, Steven & Roberts, Kenneth (2011) Latin America's Left Turn. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press.Google Scholar
Mahoney, James (2010) “After KKV: The New Methodology of Qualitative Research,” 1 World Politics 120–47.Google Scholar
Maurino, Gustavo, Nino, Ezequiel, & Sigal, Martín (2005) Las acciones colectivas: análisis conceptual, constitucional, procesal, jurisprudencial y comparado. Buenos Aires: Lexis-Nexis-Argentina.Google Scholar
McGuire, Gail & Santoro, Wayne (1997) “Social Movement Insiders: The Impact of Institutional Activists on Affirmative Action and Comparable Worth Policies,” 44 Social Problems 503–19.Google Scholar
Meyer, David & Boutcher, Steven (2007) “Signals and Spillover: Brown v. Board of Education and Other Social Movements,” 5 Perspectives on Politics 81–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, David & Staggenborg, Suzanne (1996) “Movements, Countermovements, and the Structure of Political Opportunity,” 101 American J. of Sociology 1628–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
NeJaime, Douglas (2012) “Constitutional Change, Courts, and Social Movements,” 111 Michigan Law Rev. 877–906.Google Scholar
Palacios, María Julia & Violeta Carrique (2005) “Consideraciones sobre mujeres y estudios de género en Salta,” Labrys, estudos feministas / études féministes, August/December.Google Scholar
Piscopo, Jennifer (2014) “Female Leadership and Sexual Health Policy in Argentina,” 49 Latin American Research Rev. 104–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Puga, Mariela & Otero, Romina (2010) “La Justicia salteña y la inclusión de las mujeres en el mercado laboral: el caso ‘Sisnero,” in Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género, ed., Derechos de las mujeres y discurso jurídico. Buenos Aires: ELA. 73–92.Google Scholar
Ruibal, Alba (2009) “Judicial Reform and Self-restraint. The Process of Supreme Court Independence in Argentina,” 51 Latin American Politics and Society 59–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruibal, Alba (2012) “Innovative Judicial Procedures and Redefinition of the Institutional Role of the Argentine Supreme Court,” 47 Latin American Research Rev. 22–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ruibal, Alba (2015) Social Movements and Legal Change: Legal Mobilization and Counter-Mobilization in the Field of Abortion Law in Latin America. Ph.D. Dissertation. Law Department, European Univ. Institute, Florence.Google Scholar
Sawer, Marian & Vickers, Jill (2010) “Introduction: Political Architecture and its Gender, Impact,” in Haussmann, Melissa, Sawer, Marian, & Vickers, Jill, eds., Federalism, Feminism and Multilevel Governance. Farnham, UK: Ashgate. 3–18.Google Scholar
Siegel, Reva (2006) “Constitutional Culture, Social Movement Conflict and Constitutional Change: The Case of the de facto ERA,” 94 California Law Rev. 1323–419.Google Scholar
Smulovitz, Catalina (2005) “Petitioning and Creating Rights. Judicialization in Argentina,” in Sieder, Rachel, Schjolden, Line, & Angell, Alan, eds., The Judicialization of Politics in Latin America. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 161–85.Google Scholar
Smulovitz, Catalina (2012) “Public Defense and Access to Justice in a Federal Context: Who Gets What, and How in the Argentinean Provinces?” Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (APSA), Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Smulovitz, Catalina (2015) “Legal Inequality and Federalism: Domestic Violence Laws in the Argentine Provinces,” 57 Latin American Politics and Society 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staggenborg, Suzanne (1988) “The Consequences of Professionalization and Formalization in the Pro-Choice Movement,” 53 American Sociological Rev. 585–605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vanhala, Lisa (2012) “Legal Opportunity Structures and the Paradox of Legal Mobilization by the Environmental Movement in the UK,” 46 Law & Society Rev. 523–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vickers, Jill (2010) “A Two-Way Street: Federalism and Women's Politics in Canada and the United States,” 40 Publius: The J. of Federalism 412–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vickers, Jill, Haussmann, Melissa, & Sawer, Marian (2010) “Conclusion,” in Haussmann, Melissa, Sawer, Marian, & Vickers, Jill, eds., Federalism, Feminism and Multilevel Governance. Farnham, UK: Ashgate. 229–38.Google Scholar
Wilson, Bruce & Cordero, Juan (2006) “Legal Opportunity Structures and Social Movements. The Effects of Institutional Change on Costa Rican Politics,” 39 Comparative Political Studies 325–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Interviews

Abbut Carol, Graciela. Litigant lawyer, legal advisor of the Foro de Mujeres, member of the National Network of Feminist Lawyers for Human Rights. Author interview, Salta, August 8, 2013.

Beltrán, Alma and Fernanda Díaz de León. Members of the Legal Area of GIRE, Author interview, México DF, September 29, 2011.

Cáceres, Miguel Angel. History Professor. Author interview, Salta, August 9, 2013.

Caliva, Verónica. President of Fundation Entre Mujeres, Author interview, Salta, August 10, 2013.

Carrique, Violeta. President of the Women's Commission, National University of Salta, member of the Multisectorial de Mujeres, founder of the feminist movement in Salta. Author interview, Salta, August 18, 2013.

Davis Mattar, Laura. Program manager, Conectas Human Rights; member of Global Doctors for Choice/Brazil. Author interview, São Paulo, August 31, 2012.

Gaspar, Gabriela. Litigant lawyer, member of the National Network of Feminist Lawyers, and member of ILEC. Author interview, Salta, August 8, 2013.

Gherardi, Natalia. Executive Director of ELA, Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género (Latin American Team of Gender and Justice). Author interview. Buenos Aires. December 23, 2010.

Gómez Augier, Agustín. Journalist, President of ILEC- Salta. Author interview, Salta, August 9, 2013.

Morales, Alfonsina. Director of the Program of Protection for Victims of Domestic Violence, Municipality of Salta. Author interview, Salta, August 7, 2013.

Puga, Mariela. Public interest lawyer and Executive Director of Mujeres del Sur. Author interview. Córdoba, December 29, 2010.

Quiroga, Maria. Member of Cátedra Abierta de Genero (Open Seminar on Gender) at Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia in Trelew. Author interview, October 3, 2014.

Ramos, Alicia. President of Multisectorial de Mujeres. Author interview, Salta, August 9, 2013.

Sisnero, Mirtha. Main plaintiff in the claim for equal opportunity at the workplace. Author interview, Salta, August 12, 2013.

Spaventa, Verónica. Law Clerk at the office of Judge Graciela Kauffman, ex Delegate of INADI in Salta, member of the National Network of Feminist Lawyers for Human Rights. Telephone interview, January 10, 2017.

Spaventa, Verónica. Author interview, Salta, August 4, 2013.

Tolosa, Alejandra. Representative of CLADEM Argentina in Chubut, ex Delegate of INADI in Chubut (2006–2013). Author interview, Puerto Madryn, October 3, 2014.