When Winning in the Courts Is Not Enough: Abortion and the Limits of Legal Mobilization without Grassroots Involvement in Peru

Peru is often cited as an example of the internationalization of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) norms through supra-national litigation. Yet the impact to petitioners and other similarly situated women in Peruvian society has fallen far short of expectations. This chapter analyzes the actors behind progressive litigation in Peru, as well as their strategies and those of anti-abortion advocates. It shows that the professionalization, specialization, and detachment from grassroots movements of Peruvian feminist NGOs limit their capacity to build a broader network of political support and thus leverage the opportunities presented by successful litigation. By contrast, anti-abortion organizations are closely connected to grassroots organizations and have developed links to political organizations that allow them to deploy different strategies to stall efforts at expanding the right to abortion.