Date: 2024
Type: Article
‘How did you get in there and make the law work?’ feminist activism, doctors and abortion law : the occupation of an hospital
Social and legal studies, 2024, OnlineFirst
CARUSO, Elena, ‘How did you get in there and make the law work?’ feminist activism, doctors and abortion law : the occupation of an hospital, Social and legal studies, 2024, OnlineFirst
- https://hdl.handle.net/1814/76883
Retrieved from Cadmus, EUI Research Repository
In this article, I examine the aftermath of Italy's 1978 abortion law (Law 194/1978) and the following feminist occupation of a Rome hospital, revealing a little-known chapter in feminist history. The legislation marked a pivotal moment by partly legalising abortion access, overturning draconian laws from the Fascist era. The focus on the 3-month occupation illuminates how social movements actively shaped, and were shaped by, the implementation of the law. Drawing on overlooked archival materials and original interviews with feminist abortion campaigners, I uncover unique dynamics between feminist activists, medical professionals, and abortion law. I contend that this historical event not only diversifies our understanding of social movements’ roles in legal changes but also highlights the exceptional case of a public hospital serving as a platform for transmitting feminist practices and knowledge to medical professionals. Ultimately, I argue for the crucial role of feminist history in advancing socio–legal scholarship.
Additional information:
Published online: 21 May 2024
Cadmus permanent link: https://hdl.handle.net/1814/76883
Full-text via DOI: 10.1177/09646639241254359
ISSN: 0964-6639; 1461-7390
Publisher: SAGE Publications
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