State Feminism in Democratic Argentina (1983-2021): Aspirational Model or Institutional Reality?

Abstract

With the return of democracy in 1983 until 2021, the women’s policy agency in Argentina shows a non-linear institutional trajectory. Using a typology of agencies proposed by the theory of State Feminism, this article characterizes, in the first place, the different institutional expressions of women’s policy agencies according to their nexus with the women’s and feminist movements. Secondly, the article explains these variations based on the dynamics and changes of women’s and feminist movements, as well as the instrumental use of women’s agencies by the Executive Power when regulating conflicts with conservative actors. The article seeks to contribute to the debates on State Feminism by emphasizing the heterogeneity of feminist movements vis-à-vis political leaders’ pragmatic decisions at critical conjunctures.