By Jane Jaquette, Norma Stoltz Chinchilla, María de los Angeles Crummett, and Mayra Buvinic

From the Preface

The Latin American Program is pleased to publish the following work as part of its occasional Working Paper series. The collection of essays was commissioned by the Program for the conference, "Women and Democracy in Latin America: The Argentine Case," held at the Wilson Center on February 28 and March 1, 1994.

The political and economic restructuring undergone by countries in Latin America has challenged traditional concepts of governance throughout the region. The profound social impact of economic reforms and years of authoritarian rule resulted in an unprecedented range of social movements. Recent academic research has recognized the contributions made by women to these movements. What is less widely recognized is that women are continuing to play a critical role in the political transformations in the region, both through social movements and through the growing integration of women into the formal political system. As democratic institution-building continues, it becomes increasingly important to understand the links between the political and economic transformations that have taken place, and the role of women in consolidated democracies. How can the political, social and economic demands of women be most effectively channeled and represented within the framework of institutionalized democracy? What has been and will be the role of women's movements? How have women been affected by economic adjustment and what kinds of public policies can alleviate its adverse impact?

In an effort to bring these issues to the attention of the policy community in Washington, the Latin American Program of the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, and the Foro de la Mujer of the Banco de la Ciudad in Buenos Aires held the conference, "Women and Democracy in Latin America: The Argentine Case." Leading scholars and politicians, as well as representatives from the business, labor and NGO communities, explored the role of women in the political and economic  transformations throughout Latin America, with a special emphasis on Argentina . Topics included the rise of women's social movements during the transition period, the impact of structural adjustment on women, public policies to promote more equitable economic and political participation, and the role of women in decision-making processes in both private and public sectors. Women leaders from Argentina were joined by a group of U.S.-based academics who provided regional overviews to set the framework for a subsequent discussion of the Argentine case. The four papers contained in this publication are summaries of those overviews, examining overall trends in women's political and economic participation in Latin America.