Global frameworks, local strategies: Women's rights, health, and the tobacco control movement in Argentina

Abstract

The article examines how civil society organisations in Argentina used the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) to frame the country's failure to enact strong national tobacco control legislation as a violation of women's rights in the late 2000s. We analyze this case study through the politics of scale, namely the social processes that produce, reproduce, and contest the boundaries of policies and socio-economic relations. This approach understands how multiple scales overlap and connect to obstruct or enhance the right to health in Latin America. In Argentina, the global organisation of tobacco companies, the reach of international financial institutions and the national dynamics of economic austerity and export-orientation promoted the local production and use of tobacco (leaf and cigarettes) and reproduced health inequalities in the country throughout the 1990s and the early 2000s. Yet, the visible legacy of local and national human rights struggles in the adoption of international human rights treaties into Argentina's national constitution allowed the tobacco control movement to link the scale of women's bodies to the right to health through the use of CEDAW to change national legislation, tackling the social determinants of the tobacco epidemic.

A framework of NGO inside and outside strategies in the commercial determinants of health: findings from a narrative review

“…A third NGO ‘outside strategy’ targeting government actors was forum shifting – where NGOs strategically shifted debate from one policy forum to another in an attempt to obtain favourable reception and influence. This strategy was identified in 17 studies [ 23 , 36 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 61 , 71 – 73 , 83 , 84 , 107 , 109 , 128 , 145 , 158 , 159 ]. Most studies explored NGOs forum shifting vertically, from the national to regional and global level [ 23 , 36 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 61 , 71 , 72 , 83 , 84 , 107 , 109 , 128 , 158 ].…”

“…This strategy was identified in 17 studies [ 23 , 36 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 61 , 71 – 73 , 83 , 84 , 107 , 109 , 128 , 145 , 158 , 159 ]. Most studies explored NGOs forum shifting vertically, from the national to regional and global level [ 23 , 36 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 61 , 71 , 72 , 83 , 84 , 107 , 109 , 128 , 158 ]. Three studies examined NGOs forum shifting to UN committees to shame Nigeria [ 109 ], Russia [ 49 ], and Ghana [ 48 ] on extractive governance (found to be instrumental in Ghana withdrawing military protection for mining companies) [ 48 ].…”

“…Three studies explored NGOs forum shifting to the FCTC Conference of Parties to shame high and low income country governments for lack of FCTC compliance [ 61 , 83 , 84 ]. One study explored NGOs forum shifting to the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Committee to frame tobacco control as an issue for women’s rights, successfully influencing the adoption of tobacco control legislation in Argentina [ 158 ]. Regionally, NGOs filed labour violation complaints through the North American Free Trade Agreement [ 52 ].…”

“…Twenty-five studies (17%) attributed NGOs as making a substantive impact – that is, they significantly influenced commercial practices or government/intergovernmental policy and regulation [ 22 , 26 , 40 , 44 , 48 , 52 , 57 , 59 , 76 , 77 , 85 , 96 , 106 , 108 , 111 , 113 , 115 , 124 , 127 , 129 , 134 , 141 , 146 , 158 , 160 ] (see Table 4 ). A further 13 studies identified a partial impact on policy and regulation, in which NGOs temporarily influenced policy, such as halting mining licenses, or industry responded through voluntary actions [ 23 , 27 , 49 , 61 , 70 , 72 , 77 , 79 , 83 , 89 , 90 , 135 , 139 , 143 ].…”

“…Of particular interest for the NGO ‘outside’ strategies targeting government was the use of forum shifting—where NGOs strategically shifted debate from one policy forum to another in an attempt to obtain favourable influence [ 23 , 36 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 61 , 71 – 73 , 83 , 84 , 107 , 109 , 128 , 145 , 158 , 159 ]. Most studies explored NGOs forum shifting vertically—from the national to regional and global level [ 23 , 36 , 48 , 49 , 52 , 61 , 71 , 72 , 83 , 84 , 107 , 109 , 128 , 158 ]. This finding supports Keck and Sikkink’s [ 164 ] analysis of the ‘boomerang effect’ in social movement literature, which describes how NGOs experiencing state blockages can manoeuvre to global forums to put pressure on states via alternative routes.…”