Special Collection | Colección Especial
The Brazilian women’s movement and the state under the PT national governments
Authors:
Simone Bohn ,
York University, CA
About Simone
Simone Bohn is Associate Professor of Political Science at York University. She co-edited Mothers in Public and Political Life and is currently working on a SSHRC-funded project on Brazil’s women’s policy agency. Her articles have been published in International Political Science Review, Latin American Research Review, Journal of Latin American Politics, among others.
Charmain Levy
Université du Québec en Outaouais, CA
About Charmain
Charmain Levy is a trained anthropologist. She is a professor of social sciences and dean of research at the Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) Her research falls within the field of political sociology and focusses on social movements and political parties in Latin America.
Abstract
Certain segments of the Brazilian Women’s Movement (BWM) developed important strategic partnerships with the state under the PT federal government. This article demonstrates how these partnerships had both inclusionary and exclusionary effects on gender-centric policy outcomes. Using a mix-method approach which includes extensive in-depth interviews with BMW activists and archival data from governmental sources, the Brazilian experience illustrates that “entering the state” headed by a women-ally president facilitates funnelling some of the women’s movement’s demands into the state. However, hierarchies within the movement itself, the congressional strength of the head of executive and the activism of some of its socially-conservative legislative allies can severely temper that effect.
Resumen: El movimiento de mujeres brasileñas y el Estado durante los gobiernos nacionales de PT
Ciertos segmentos del Movimiento de Mujeres Brasileñas (BWM) desarrollaron importantes alianzas estratégicas con el estado bajo el gobierno federal del PT. Este artículo demuestra cómo estas asociaciones tuvieron efectos tanto inclusivos como excluyentes en los resultados de las políticas de género. Utilizando un método mixto que incluye extensas entrevistas en profundidad con activistas de BMW y archivos de fuentes gubernamentales, la experiencia brasileña ilustra que “entrar en el Estado” encabezado por un presidente aliado de las mujeres facilita canalizar algunas de las demandas del movimiento de mujeres hacia el Estado. Sin embargo, las jerarquías dentro del movimiento, la fuerza congresional del jefe ejecutivo y el activismo de algunos de sus aliados legislativos socialmente conservadores pueden moderar severamente ese efecto.
How to Cite:
Bohn, S., & Levy, C. (2019). The Brazilian women’s movement and the state under the PT national governments. European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, (108), 245–266. DOI: http://doi.org/10.32992/erlacs.10545
Published on
18 Dec 2019.
Peer Reviewed
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