Episode 18: Abortion Reform Under Latin America's Leftist Governments

Abstract

Research in the United States and Europe has found that when leftist governments come to power there tends to be a liberalization of policies around reproductive rights. But is this true in other parts of the world? Work by Christina Ewig, professor at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and faculty director of the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy, investigates how the rise of leftist governments during Latin America's "pink tide"(1999-2018) influenced abortion policies in the region. Unlike in the US and Europe, Ewig's findings suggest that the success of progressive reform under leftist governments in Latin America also depends on the type of political party in office.