Issues around the specificity of the female body (such as reproductive rights) have a contentious relationship to gender equality, when the latter is conceived of as equality between women and men. At the same time the female body was regarded as ''''únruly'''' and became a site of oppression in which states are heavily implicated. However, In many countries body issues were not framed as part of gender equality policy and followed different political trajectories.
Drawing on the examination of issues around the (female) body (abortion, prostitution, sexualities)in recent comparative work on gender policies, I will contend that political dynamics vary by sector. I will discuss the contentious relationship between body politics and and gender equality policies. I will also examine the consequences of my analysis for current typologies of (gender) regimes, which still have a heavy socio-economic bias.
