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Gender and the Politics of Needs

Broadening the Scope of Welfare State Provision in Costa Rica

University of Iowa noonan{at}cdc.gov

This study examines the ways in which gendered definitions of social provision in Costa Rica have created gaps in national health care programs that women's organizations are currently (and successfully) addressing. More specifically, I highlight how women's organizations are key actors in the politics of needs interpretation, wherein definitions of health needs are contested by policy makers, doctors, and women themselves. I argue that women's health organizations have begun to broaden and politicize health needs by including domestic violence in national debates. Using interviews and organizational histories of six grassroots health organizations, I find that these groups have been successful, in large part, because they framed their concerns in ways that were convincing to politicians and national health care bureaucrats.

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