For those interested in democratic transition and consolidation, social movements, and gender politics, this volume is the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and probing analysis available of how women's groups are helping to reshape Latin America. The contributors document and assess the remarkable wave of women's political participation in Latin America over the past two decades. The first five case studies, on Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, and Peru, examine the origins, evolution, and goals of women's organizations as they worked together to end authoritarian rule and elaborate how women's groups have adapted in the 1990s to the day-to-day realities of democratic politics. In the 1990s, the challenge has shifted from mobilizing opposition to the very different task of working with parties and government bureaucracies in order to maintain and implement their agendas. The chapters on Nicaragua and Mexico broaden our understanding of political transitions.Seven case studies vividly illustrate the variety of women's movements in the region, ranging from the communal-kitchens movements to human rights groups. Each author discusses the strategies and debates of the feminist movements in question and records their political successes and failures. Jaquette's introductory and concluding essays provide a comparative framework, highlighting the innovative ways in which Latin American women are making gender a political issue.

Introduction: From Transition to Participation- Women's Movements and Democratic Politics -- The (Trans) formation of Feminism(s) and Gender Politics in Democratizing Brazil -- From Dictatorship to Democracy: The Women's Movement in Chile -- Women and Democracy in Argentina -- The Uses of Conservatism: Women's Democratic Politics in Uruguay -- The Difficult Equilibrium Between Bread and Roses: Women's Organizations and Democracy in Peru -- Feminism, Revolution, and Democratic Transitions in Nicaragua -- Women's Movements, Feminism, and Mexican Politics -- Conclusion: Women's Political Participation and the Prospects for Democracy