Achieving the Olimpia Law: A Success of Evidence-Based Advocacy by a Women's Movement in Mexico

Women’s movements are crucial in pressuring institutions to shape legislation against violence. Recently, digital violence has become a growing concern, notably unaddressed by the government. Studies have recognized that movements employ diverse tactics to achieve legislative outcomes, including using evidence to support their claims. Despite the importance of knowledge gathered by movements, using evidence to influence legislation, especially at the local level, remains significantly understudied. By employing the concept of Evidence-Based Advocacy (EBA), this study explores the capacity of women's movements to influence legislative action on digital violence. It analyzes the tactics undertaken by the Olimpia movement to influence national legislation on digital violence across Mexican states. To highlight the importance of evidence in shaping legislation, I introduce the '3I's framework' – Inquire, Insert, and Inspire – delineating three key categories that movements employ. 'Inquire' focuses on researching digital violence and local political circumstances, 'Insert' examines the efficacy on direct legislative engagement, and 'Inspire' centers on shaping media narratives and public opinion. By employing a mix-methods approach, this qualitative case study from 2017 to 2021, combines in-depth interviews with key actors and documentary evidence. Findings illustrate how the movement navigated the legislative process employing EBA tactics to influence legislators with different political affiliations, leading to the nationwide enactment of the Olimpia Law. Success factors included deep knowledge of the legislature times, adapting strategies to align with legislative preferences, and humanizing the issue for wider public resonance. This study reveals EBA as a key tool for women’s movements to shape policy against gender-based violence.