This course analyzes the growing role of women in Latin America’s social, political and economic life. Based upon a multidisciplinary review of the literature and on current empirical research, this seminar considers the various ways in which women participate in Latin America’s public life, both formally and informally, and contribute to shape the region’s socioeconomic and political processes. Our analysis will focus on how and why women have been especially active in the region, beginning with strong and vibrant women’s movements in the early-mid 20th century to the election of female presidents in the three most important countries in South America – Argentina, Brazil and Chile – and one of the largest shares of women in parliamentary bodies (second only to the Nordic countries) in the early 21stcentury. Our analysis will cover a variety of arenas for women’s political activism, from NGOs and feminist movements to their representation in elected and appointed government positions. The objective is to better understand how women’s political participation has transformed and influenced sociocultural conventions as well as political systems and policy agendas in Latin America.
