Gender Dynamics in Politics: A study of Latin America

Abstract

Latin America and the Caribbean went from a region at the top of the World’s Female Leader Index in
2014 to a region with no female heads of state in 2019. As the region displays a major shift towards
the conservative side of politics, the gender, race, and class divide has never held more prominence in
the politics of Latin America. The interaction between the gender, race, and class has meandered in
interesting and unexpected ways; however, an overall diminishing the percentages of women in
politics at the local, provincial, and central level has become apparent. Even after the implementation
of special quotas for women, the numbers have steadily declined as the nature of politics in the region
made a shift towards the right. As the politics of the region changes, women have also begun to make a
mark among conservative leaders however; it is still unclear what their future would be. This article
takes cues from the recent shift in Latin American politics to assess the nature of women participation
and the conflict of gender in politics of the region and its larger impact on the society.