The United Nations supported the idea of National Women´s Mechanisms (NWMs) since the 1970s. NWMs have been promoted internationally as the primary institutional tool to achieve women´s equality since the Beijing Platform for Action was adopted in 1995. Despite their widespread adoption, NWMs have been criticised in the academic literature and by practitioners as ineffective institutions that have not necessarily led to progressive change for women. This thesis examines the effectiveness of NWMs in Latin America. It asks, has their establishment produced potentially effective institutions, or have States been merely compliant with UN promoted global norms? The research uses a cross national survey study of the eighteen Latin American States based on three questionnaire surveys of three target groups –UN Women offices, NWMs and civil society organisations. Based on this survey, four case study countries - Chile, Uruguay, Nicaragua and Bolivia - were selected for in-depth analysis. The research was facilitated by my role in UN Women permitting me access to key informants, events and meetings. The result of the survey demonstrated that almost all NWMs in Latin America are ineffective entities indicating a fundamental flaw in either the design of the global norm or in its implementation. The research did not find a strong link between States´ compliance with the global norm and the effectiveness of NWMs. The Chilean NWM was compliant and effective while that of Nicaragua was also compliant but ineffective. Uruguay had an effective NWM in spite of a low level of compliance. In Bolivia the NWM was neither compliant nor effective. The conclusion to the thesis suggests that reforming this global norm may allow NWMs to become more effective institutions.