ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the evolution of gender methodologies in the North, as well as examines the contributions of Latin American researchers and women-led political activities. It reflects the rich international debate about how women participate in politics and how politics should be construed and studied. The chapter examines specific research areas, women in development and women's social movements, to show how the Latin American experience has reinforced the now widely held view that women seek different political goals, using distinct political strategies. It also examines that women's experiences provide new criteria to measure the health of the body politic. It is argued that new social movements have new agendas, that they "write new scripts". In Latin America, women's organizations and women members of "mixed" organizations were the backbone of the new social movements. The results of studying women's organizations, political participation, and changing economic roles have proven immensely useful.
