Sex and the State: Abortion, Divorce and Family in Latin American Dictatorships and Democracies (review)

This is a valuable addition to gender studies of Latin America. Htun has provided a comparative study of different gender policy areas (divorce, "family equality" and abortion) with an analysis of Argentina, Brazil and Chile.

The opening chapter provides the analytical framework by establishing the importance of issue networks, issue differences and political institutions to explain policy development in the three countries, along with some helpful historical pointers. Some might quibble with the political science approach; although Htun does engage with modernization and cultural explanation, these are, perhaps, over-readily dismissed. Nevertheless, the framework offered is well argued and developed throughout the text. The following two chapters provide more useful context. Chapter 2 establishes "four normative traditions" which have influenced the development of policy: the Catholic Church, feminism, liberalism and socialism. Chapter 3 assesses important developments in gender policy during military dictatorships. Again these provide valuable material for the main arguments of the book and, in the latter, remind reminders that there were opportunities for women to make gains during the dictatorships. There is some tension in Chapter 3 between the law catching up with cultural practices and the law shaping practice and pushing modernisation.

Chapters 4-6 focus on each of the policy areas identified. A common theme throughout is how different coalitions of actors were able, or not, to push at the limited openings available. These chapters are important for demonstrating that there is not a general tendency or trajectory for the development of these policies. In particular it is noted that the democratization process itself does not necessarily favour progressive legislation; indeed, in cases such as Brazil, where there was a progressive president (Fernando Henrique Cardoso was married to feminist Ruth Cardoso), gender issues were not prioritized and change in some areas was quicker in Argentina with less progressive leaders. Given the institutional perspective that Htun adopts, it comes as no surprise that the power and standing of the Catholic Church is understood to be central to the success in changing the law. In Argentina, the relative weakness of the Church after the demise of the military meant that it was less able to defend conservative norms, unlike in Chile where the Church emerged in the post-Pinochet period with very high standing and therefore influence over social policy. The focus on the Church is important, not least because Htun highlights how multi-dimensional it is.

The policy areas are documented in detail in this comprehensive study. By focusing on three areas, Htun is able to illustrate the differing success of women's organizations and their allies. The debate over abortion in some ways is the best known and offers some interesting pointers to understanding political change; while, it is well practised among women from all social strata there is little push for change. It seems that the majority of Latin Americans analyzed here are happy with the "double discourse" of this contradiction, resulting in great resistance to liberalizing abortion laws. Htun's concluding chapter emphasises her key arguments and reminds us that we should not expect Latin America to follow the European/U.S. experiences, despite the similarities in other policy areas. The democratization process in Latin America has offered important opportunities for women to establish their rights more clearly, but this has not been uniform and there are considerable variations across the region.

Although I have minor quibbles with some of the chapter conclusions (particularly in Chapter 4 regarding the weakness of the state and in Chapter 1 when cultural explanations of change are dismissed), these do not detract from the overall quality of the book, which offers a strong argument and excellent comparative analysis. As such, it is of great interest to both gender studies and the comparative political analyses of democratization.