Explaining advances and drawbacks in women’s and LGBTIQ rights in Uruguay: Multisited pressures, political resistance, and structural inertias

Abstract

Drawing on recent discussions from the literature on feminist policies (Htun and Weldon 2010; Mazur 2002), in this chapter we argue that in Uruguay, despite the advances, many policies fall short of their objectives. There exists a wide implementation gap regarding the rights frameworks that inform the policies and the actual policy practices. In certain cases, framing contests (Bacchi 1999; Charles and Mackay 2013) around policy issues have resulted in the marginalization of feminist frames in the process of policy development. In others, setbacks or stagnation when it comes to guaranteeing rights through public policies are due to a lack of effective state capacity (Htun and Weldon 2010: 211-212). Under the left-wing Frente Amplio governments, there has not been a true paradigm shift (Hall 1993) for regulating gender relations and sexuality. Rather, we observe more piecemeal and incomplete advances while patriarchal and hetero-normative ideas of social relations and rights persist. As a second objective, we provide preliminary explanations about why this occurs.