Anatomy of a Feminist Victory

Abstract

The decision of Roussel Uclaf, a French pharmaceutical firm, to relinquish its United States patent rights on RU 486 in 1994 marked a major victory for American feminist organizations which had sought the drug's U.S. introduction since 1988. Disagreements between Roussel Uclaf and its German parent company, Hoechst AG, over the fate of RU 486 made the companies vulnerable to social movement influence. Through massive petition drives, mobilization of the scientific community, and economic pressure, American feminist groups were able to neutralize the effects of anti-abortion campaigns to withhold the drug. The intervention of the Clinton administration, also at the urging of feminist groups, provided the final resource for RU 486 advocates within Roussel Uclaf to convince Hoechst AG to transfer patent rights. This case shows that strategies usually reserved for feminist advocacy in the public arena can be effective in the non-state context. However, strong relationships between feminist organizations and inside allies were necessary to movement success