To adopt or not to adopt an abortion policy : A case study of the abortion reform processes in Spain and Portugal

Abstract: This thesis analyzes two attempts at restricting women’s access to abortion with different outcomes. In 2014 a policy proposal seeking to criminalize abortion in Spain was withdrawn after a ten month long debate, while a policy proposal introducing obstacles for women to have an abortion was adopted in Portugal in 2015 after a quiet reform process. Process tracing is used to uncover the factors conducive for the adoption of the Portuguese reform proposal and the withdrawal of the Spanish reform proposal in order to offer a more comprehensive understanding of under which circumstances conservative abortion reform proposals are adopted or withdrawn. The theoretical framework draws primarily on previous research in the field of gender policy adoption and theory on political parties as strategic actors. The findings show that there were three central factors for understanding the contrasting outcomes of the two abortion reform processes. First, the opposition forces differed in their strength and composition. Second, public opinion did not support the Spanish reform proposal. Third, the Spanish reform proposal demanded extensive changes to the current abortion law while the Portuguese reform proposal required less extensive changes.