Feminist Politics, Coalition Building, and Movement Legacies: Abortion Rights Activism in Argentina since the 2001 Crisis

Around two decades after Argentina’s 2001 crisis, the abortion rights movement flourished, becoming a powerful force against obstacles to reproductive justice in the country and mobilizing massive numbers of people from all walks of life to successfully demand the legalization of abortion. The National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe, and Free Abortion was launched in 2005, but the seeds for several of its key features were planted during the collective action surrounding the crisis. This study draws on 105 qualitative interviews with abortion rights advocates, feminists, and activist women in a variety of organizations in Argentina, collected in different stages between 2002 and 2020, to examine how the events of 2001 influenced later organizing. The analysis reveals two central features of the Campaign that can be traced back to mobilization in the crisis: the legacy of a style of politics centered around broad coalition building with diverse constituencies that cross social categories; and lessons about how to advance focused and strategic goals while still engaging broad sectors of society. Broad organizing can be in tension with the narrowing of goals, yet grappling with this tension is necessary for inclusive and effective action. Argentina’s social movement experience shows how activists have managed to successfully advance the targeted cause of abortion rights without relinquishing their desire and efforts to “ cambiarlo todo” (change everything) so reminiscent of the spirit of the 2001 uprising.