The Politics of Foetal Personhood in Argentina: Conservative Catholic Activism, Religion and Gender

This article explores the intersection of Catholic conservative religious activism, foetal personhood legislation, and women’s lived experiences of miscarriage in Argentina. It shows how these conservative religious groups instrumentalise the concept of foetal personhood within legislative debates,...

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Bibliographic Details
Subtitles:Religion, Gender and Embodied Politics
Main Author: Irrazábal, Gabriela (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Interlibrary Loan:Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany)
Published: 2025
In: Religion & gender
Year: 2025, Volume: 15, Issue: 3, Pages: 267-289
Further subjects:B Argentina
B women’s health
B foetal personhood
B Catholic religious conservatism
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Summary:This article explores the intersection of Catholic conservative religious activism, foetal personhood legislation, and women’s lived experiences of miscarriage in Argentina. It shows how these conservative religious groups instrumentalise the concept of foetal personhood within legislative debates, shaping public policy and directly affecting women’s rights and health. To capture the interplay between macro-level politics and personal experiences, I employ a three-pronged analytical approach, including 1) an example illustrative case of collision between conservative legislative pushes and lived experiences, 2) surveys of women who experienced miscarriage, highlighting a needed woman-centred approach often overlooked in legislative and clinical settings and 3) legislative bill strategies to institutionalise foetal personhood. The article explains how Catholic religious conservatism influences reproductive autonomy and public health in Argentina. This study provides an understanding of the socio-political debate on religion, gender, and reproductive rights in Argentina, demonstrating the impact of religious conservatism on reproductive autonomy and public health.
ISSN:1878-5417
Contains:Enthalten in: Religion & gender
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/18785417-tat00035