Latin America
Related: About this forumInside Argentina'' Revolution of the Daughters
Inside Argentinas Revolution of the Daughters
It was a biting cold night in Buenos Aires, but the raw temperatures did not discourage a million people to join the vigil before Congress last Wednesday. Over 22 hours of debate later, on the early morning of June 14with 129 votes in favor, 125 votes against and 1 abstentionthe nations lower chamber approved a bill that would legalize abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. If the Senate approves it next month, Argentina will become the latest and largest country in Latin America where women can legally and safely pursue an abortion.
A woman wears a green outfit to show her support at an abortion rights protest. (Fotografías Emergentes / Creative Commons)
There was always this thought, yes, this is happening, but also fear that the result could be no. Carla Santángelo, editor at Índigo Editoras, arrived at the Congress square in the evening after watching the debate on television for a while. The square was physically divided in two sides, she recalls. On the right, a tide of green handkerchiefs had formed by those in favor of decriminalizing abortion; on the left, their opponents wore blue scarves. Santángelo arrived with some friends and met many others as hours passed on the green side. Cellphone signal was weak, but they used WhatsApp to keep each other updated on the vote taking place some meters away. Someone sent a photo of the square taken from a dronethe difference between the green and the blue was unmistakable.
We already knew it, Santángelo admits. We already knew that whatever was happening in Congress in that moment, it was not going to be representative of what was happening outside. I dont mean this yes is not representativeit isbut such a tight margin does not represent what was going on in the streets. Poet and writer Nadia Sol Caramella wasnt surprised by the number of people in the square when she arrived. The 2016 Womens March, after all, drew 70,000 people. But this time was special, Caramella tells Ms. I felt it was the day many feminists before us had long awaitedand many died without witnessing.
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Not everyone on the floor of Congress was as eager to celebrate. One member compared women to dogs during debate, adding that the solution to unwanted puppies is giving them away instead of obtaining an abortion for the female. Another member cited the Bible. A Catholic cross made an appearance. Honestly, we do not understand what have we done to deserve this void of logic and empiric arguments, Caramella tells me, this political obscurantism and disaffection.
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http://msmagazine.com/blog/2018/06/20/inside-argentinas-revolution-daughters/
sandensea
(21,743 posts)Most in his hard-right PRO consider feminists "lesbians" and even terrorists. Think Rick Santorum.
Suffice it to say, they consistently vote against anything that enhances women's rights or protects them from domestic violence - to say nothing of gay or trans rights.
Argentine feminism's high water mark was during the Cristina Kirchner years (2007-15), when laws addressing all of the above were passed and signed.
There were also programs encouraging women-owned small business and homeownership, a Federal Prosecutor on Gender Violence, as well as a public sector jobs cuota for battered women (some 10% of Argentine women have reported being battered at some point). All have either been rescinded or defunded by Macri.
The only major reform that failed during the Kirchner years, was abortion rights.
As noted, the bill (which legalizes abortion on the woman's sole prerogative until the 14th week, and with physician approval after that) passed very narrowly in the Lower House. Most of Macri's PRO voted against it.
The bill now faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where Cristina Kirchner (now a senator) is leading the charge against RW delay tactics, despite objecting to abortion personally.
The Vice President, Gabriela Michetti, is however an ultra-conservative Catholic who has hinted she'll vote against it if ends up in a tie.
Macri, interestingly, has hinted he'll sign it into law - though with him you never know: As mayor of Buenos Aires, he vetoed a much milder pro-choice bill in 2012.
We'll see. Thanks again!