Intersectional Advances?: Inclusionary and Intersectional State Action in Uruguay

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of whether states can act intersectionally, and which social groups are most likely to push states to do so. I focus on the Uruguayan case, where I find that such action is limited to very specific instances that match the conditions required for inclusionary action: strong civil society mobilization, international pressure, party system change, and moderate to low cost solutions, alongside one simple, but thus far underutilized necessary condition for intersectional action: explicitly intersectional demands. I find that women of color are most likely to engage in intersectional claims making and forward intersectional demands, while traditional feminist groups are the least likely to do so.

Keywords: Intersectionality, State, Uruguay