The Contention of Care: A Latin American Perspective

Abstract

In the current global political landscape, characterised by increasing polarisation and a rise in far-right conservative governments, ‘care’ has become a contested field. In particular, the decline in birth rates has catalysed conservative discourse advocating a return to ‘traditional’ values around the world. In contrast, in Latin America, issues related to ‘care’ have become associated with feminist agendas and are closely linked to the progressive reform of social protection systems amidst the region's new ‘left turn’. In this work, I examine how the diffusion of ideas influences and shapes the care agenda in Latin America. Based on an extensive document analysis, the article argues that the role of feminist epistemic communities in the region, the existence of institutionalised intergovernmental mechanisms and the window of opportunity created by the end of the commodities supercycle during a new wave of progressive governments have contributed significantly to the promotion of a feminist and progressive care agenda at the regional level.