The Cultural Politics of Reproduction in Latin America

Latin American countries have some of the world's most prohibitive and contentious reproductive health laws, policies and programmes. Reproduction and politics have long been inextricably intertwined, and in particular, reproductive violence is a troubling legacy shared by many countries in the region, from state-directed fertility control measures to coerced sterilisation campaigns. Current debates show the unequal and contested forces that continue to govern access to contraception, abortion and the provision of quality reproductive and obstetric healthcare. However, the cultural politics of reproduction - the ways that cultural norms and attitudes as well as media and the arts shape the political, legal and social realities of reproduction, and vice versa - have tended to be absent from scholarship focused on Latin America. This special issue aims to address this gap. It asks: what role does culture play in reflecting and shaping the politics of reproduction in Latin America? How can cultural approaches may further our understanding of reproductive rights, and propel the quest for reproductive justice? How might they contribute to addressing reproductive health-based 'development challenges', such as the burden of maternal mortality?