This chapter of Civil Society and Social Movements: Building Sustainable Democracies in Latin America examines women’s social movements that emerged in the 1970s—during the dictatorships and economic crises in South America and guerrilla movements opposed to authoritarian regimes in Central America. This period also coincides with the emergence of the second wave of feminism. We will review the evolution of women’s organizations and mobilizations, their nature, structures, goals and strategies, to discern patterns from the past and lessons for the future.