Women's Rights in the 1998 Political Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador

Abstract

This article analyzes the progress made by Ecuador's Political Constitution regarding women's rights and the gender perspective, as well as the challenges this new legal framework presents to the Ecuadorian State, the women's social movement, and society in general. The aim is to move beyond the mere recognition of rights in the letter of the law to their full exercise and enjoyment. The analysis follows the feminist critique of law. It delves into the analysis of civil, political, economic, and social constitutional rights, but above all, it recognizes the importance of the recognition of many sexual and reproductive rights that have already been incorporated into international human rights law for women. This achievement is understood not as a generous concession from the State, but rather as the result of a process of mobilization and the development of legal proposals by the Ecuadorian women's movement, culminating in the approval of 34 of the 36 proposals presented to the last National Assembly.