Abortion, Antifeminism, and the Return of Daniel Ortega: In Nicaragua, Leftist Politics?

In: Latin American perspectives, Band 35, Heft 6, S. 122-136

Abstract

In Nicaragua, the convergence of two regional trends—the resurgence of the electoral left and the emergence of significant antifeminist movements—has important implications for our understanding of left-wing parties and gender politics. An alliance between the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (Sandinista Front for National Liberation—FSLN) in the days before the 2006 election banned abortion even to save the woman's life. This can only be explained though the relationship of four long-term processes: (1) the FSLN's becoming a less ideological party, advocating reconciliation rather than revolution, (2) nearly a decade of pact making with the right, (3) the alienation of the feminist movement from the FSLN and divisions within it, and (4) the increasing sophistication of the antifeminist movement. The events of this period demonstrate the importance of examining gender politics in terms of the dynamic and sometimes unpredictable relationship between state, party, and civil society.