Links between Political Parties and Feminist Movements in Latin America: The Case of the Struggle for Legal Abortion in Bolivia

Abstract

Objective/context: In Latin America, access to abortion is one of the most significant expressions of gender or class inequalities. Because of its contentious nature, it is challenging to enact such policies. The literature suggests that passing pro-abortion legislation requires secular contexts and, in particular, strong feminist movements allied with left-wing parties in government. However, the mechanisms by which these factors interact have been understudied. This article examines the case of Bolivia; theoretically, one would not expect decriminalization to occur there due to the country’s strong conservatism and the relative weakness of its feminist movement. Nevertheless, in 2017, the Bolivian Parliament approved a reform that decriminalized abortion under various grounds. Methodology: This article draws on original fieldwork that included in-depth interviews with feminist activists and legislators, as well as a systematic review of documents and press coverage. Conclusions: This study shows that, within a party structure where decision-making is guided by deliberation—such as in the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS)—party legislators occupying key positions and maintaining ties with the feminist movement played a critical role in the reform, persuading leaders and other members of the party to support it. Originality: This article fills a gap in the literature by offering a deeper understanding of the kinds of links between feminist movements and left-wing parties that make it possible to advance contentious agendas such as legal abortion.