Bridging the Gap: Gender Equality Legislation and Women¿s Advocacy in Mexico¿s Subnational Congresses

This study examines the drivers and dynamics of women¿s rights advocacy within Mexico¿s subnational legislatures. Drawing on an original dataset of nearly 47,000 legislative proposals and biographical information for over 2,200 legislators across 32 state congresses (2014¿2022), the research investigates which actors champion women¿s rights, the institutional and personal characteristics that shape their behavior, and the extent to which their efforts result in substantive legal change. The analysis focuses on three dimensions: the volume of women´s rights bills (WRB) sponsored, the legal complexity of these proposals, and their likelihood of enactment. Results reveal that sex, institutional leadership roles, and partisan affiliation significantly influence legislative engagement. Female legislators are consistently more active in sponsoring WRB, particularly those with committee or party leadership roles. However, most approved proposals target secondary legislation, limiting structural transformation. The study contributes to the literature on substantive representation by highlighting how institutional access, legislative experience, and party dynamics intersect with sex to shape policy outcomes. It also raises critical questions about the limitations of symbolic inclusion and the barriers to enacting far-reaching reforms at the local level. © 2025 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Bridging the Gap: Gender Equality Legislation and Women¿s Advocacy in Mexico¿s Subnational Congresses Academic Article in Scopus