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Abortion Law Reforms in Colombia and Nicaragua: Issue Networks and Opportunity Contexts
Author(s) -
Reuterswärd Camilla,
Zetterberg Pär,
ThaparBjörkert Suruchi,
Molyneux Maxine
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
development and change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1467-7660
pISSN - 0012-155X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-7660.2011.01714.x
Subject(s) - abortion , legislature , latin americans , abortion law , politics , unitary state , political science , state (computer science) , law , public administration , political economy , sociology , development economics , family planning , economics , population , research methodology , pregnancy , genetics , demography , algorithm , computer science , biology
This article analyses two instances of abortion law reform in Latin America. In 2006, after a decades‐long impasse, the highly controversial issue of abortion came to dominate the political agenda when Colombia liberalized its abortion law and Nicaragua adopted a total ban on abortion. The article analyses the central actors in the reform processes, their strategies and the opportunity contexts. Drawing on Htun's (2003) framework, it examines why these processes concluded with opposing legislative outcomes. The authors argue for the need to understand the state as a non‐unitary site of politics and policy, and for judicial processes to be seen as a key variable in facilitating gender policy reforms in Latin America. In addition, they argue that ‘windows of opportunity’ such as the timing of elections can be critically important in legislative change processes.