When Some Rights Matter More than Others: Recent National Legislation in Women's Human Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

In the twentieth anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (2015), a report prepared by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and Caribbean (ECLAC), highlighted that legal changes favouring gender equality are the main and most widespread achievement in the region (ECLACa: 24). To a great extent, these policy changes are due to women in legislative office with progressive visions of gender relations. Female legislators committed to a gender equality agenda are part of the cultural change brought about by feminist advocates in the region. It is common to see congresswomen adhering to public campaigns for women´s rights, and being vocal about them in the media, often regarding topics such as violence against women, trafficking in women and girls, and equality of representation in governmental bodies. On occasions, some of them also participate in popular demonstrations, such as the massive rallies to repudiate femicides, known as Ni Una Menos. In turn, social activists interact with legislators on these issues, framing their demands in terms of human rights. If anything, previous research shows that female legislators with close ties with the feminist and women´s movements are pivotal in the struggle for improved legal protections.