Abortion and Feminism in 1930s Mexico

The medical practice, criminal prosecution, and political organizing around abortion is not well studied in early twentieth century Mexico. The catalogue of the Supreme Court of the Federal District of Mexico (TSJDF) indicates the court opened over one hundred cases for the crime in the 1930s and a further 90 cases in the 1940s. However, to date, researchers have only studied a a small number of these. Intriguingly, the court only opened nine cases in the ten years after 1950. The proposed research principally involves tracking down as many more of the abortion cases courts tried in the 1930s and 1940s as possible, both at Mexico’s National Archives and in the country’s centralized newspaper collection, the Hemeroteca Nacional housed at the National University. In addition, the intern researcher will attempt to identify contemporary trends in the pro-and anti-abortion political rhetoric and mobilization.

Faculty Supervisor:

Nora Jaffary

Student:

Partner:

Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Education

University:

Concordia University

Program: