Tag Archive for: Gender

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Protection against gender violence is a commitment to the entire society

Three days after the 9th anniversary of Ni Una Menos and five after the publication of the femicides report that confirmed that in 2023 there were 250 victims in our country, the national government decided to close the Undersecretariat for Protection Against Gender Violence. A woman dies every 35 hours in Argentina, while one in two women in a relationship has suffered or is suffering from domestic violence and there are no state structures to resolve it.

According to data from the National Registry of Femicide of the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court of Justice, there have been between 226 and 260 victims of femicide per year from 2017 to 2023. It is clear that lethal gender-based violence is far from being resolved. The problem is real and not ideological. To these lethality data we must add the 124,000 calls to line 144, a state policy that has been in existence for 10 years and is a hub for prevention.

Public policies to address cases of gender violence are part of a commitment that the Argentine State has historically made within the framework of international agreements and that is why gender institutions were created almost 40 years ago to carry them out. Argentina occupies a privileged role in the fulfillment of these agreements and has been a pioneer in taking measures against discrimination and violence against women and LGBT people. It is taken as an example internationally.

Without specialized bodies in the comprehensive approach or sufficient personnel and budget, the Argentine State will not be able to design and implement adequate policies to prevent and punish these acts. But, furthermore, you will not be fulfilling your obligations. With the closure of the Undersecretariat for Protection Against Gender Violence, the Argentine State goes back to times prior to 1987 when the first undersecretariat for women was created and retraces a path of progressive progress that it achieved in the last 37 years.

Our National Constitution grants constitutional status to the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), committing to the development of policies aimed at eliminating discrimination against women by all appropriate means and without delay and enshrining the Inter-American Convention to Prevent , Punish and Eradicate Violence against Women (Belem do Pará) in 1996 through Law No. 24,632. With the closure of the Undersecretariat, the commitments no longer have reference authority for the design of policies and budgets and Law No. 26,485 on Comprehensive Protection to prevent, punish and eradicate violence against women will no longer have enforcement authority.

Fiscal regulation cannot be done at the cost of deaths and other forms of discriminatory violence against the population. Our society has built a consensus against gender violence. It is not an option to reverse four decades of progress.

We demand that the government rise to the urgency and immediately designate an adequate structure to respond to a problem that does not cease. We urge Congress to ensure that the laws it defines for social protection are executed.

 

SEE ACCESSIONS: La protección contra la violencia de género es un compromiso con toda la sociedad

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We launched the guide for reflection and transformation “Rethinking the economy: a feminist perspective”

During the months of August and October 2023, from Fundeps, together with the Córdoba Feminist Economy Space and with the support of the Heinrich Böell Foundation and the UPC Extension Secretariat, we carry out the Rethinking the Economy Training Cycle: a feminist perspective. From these meetings we built a guide for Reflection and Transformation.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

In this training cycle we met with a wide diversity of spaces to devise resistance alternatives that put the sustainability of life at the center, among them participated: self-managed organizations, enterprises, cooperatives, unions, academic spaces, workers in the field public-state, civil society organizations, social and feminist movements and interested people in the province.

From this enriching experience that consisted of six instances, we proposed to share a systematization with those interested in embarking on a path of (de)construction on the ways in which we understand and participate in the economy. From a critical perspective, this input seeks not only to understand reality from a complex perspective, but also to contribute to its transformation. To this end, we recover and organize both the theoretical and methodological contributions as well as the reflections, questions and dynamics from which the training meetings were built.

The pedagogical orientation of this guide was designed from a feminist perspective, integrating various tools of popular education, sensitivity and affectivity. It is divided into two parts: the first addresses fundamental conceptual categories to analyze the economy from a feminist perspective; The second includes annexes with activities designed to raise awareness and reinforce said contents. As a closing, some poems are presented that seek to connect the reflections and thoughts developed during the meetings, with our deepest and most sensitive emotions.

In this sense, the guide presents several fundamental conceptual and political contributions, among them: the sexual division of labor and its impact on the labor market; the social organization of care and the reproduction of inequalities; the reconfiguration of statehood from feminist perspectives, including the idea of an Open State. It also covers some bills that represent important precedents for the construction of proposals that could give rise to regulatory frameworks for the recognition of care work in community settings.

This guide, then, becomes a commitment and a political tool to socialize various critical and collective knowledge related to the construction of “another fairer economy” in which we can be participants. We hope that this resource will be useful to generate enriching dialogues between the conceptual assumptions of Feminist Economics and the vital and organizational experiences of those who consult it. We hope that this guide helps to question current living conditions and thus be able to build solid foundations that support and strengthen care practices for the sustainability of life.

 

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE HERE

 

Author
Carola Bertona

Contact
Cecilia Bustos Moreschi, cecilia.bustos.moreschi@fundeps.org

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WE SAY AGAIN: NO TO THE BASE LAW

On Thursday, April 25, the plenary session of the Budget and Finance, General Legislation and Constitutional Affairs Committees of the Chamber of Deputies reached the opinion on the new law of Bases and starting points for the freedom of Argentines (former omnibus law) . Today, Monday, the law will be discussed in the chamber, together with the so-called “Fiscal Package”, the law on Palliative and Relevant Fiscal Measures, which introduces modifications to the tax regime. From Fundeps, we once again say #NoALaLeydeBases, because:

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

  • Its treatment and approval in Commissions was in accelerated times. And the debate process was not open or participatory. In this way, a broad and specific discussion of each of the topics addressed was not allowed.
  • It allows institutions such as CONICET, the National Securities Commission, the Financial Information Unit, ANMAT, INTA, INCUCAI, INCAA, Enacom, CONEAU, among others, to be intervened, split, partially dissolved or lose functions and powers. other decentralized or centralized organizations.
  • Depending on these powers, and by not being explicitly excluded from the list, it could affect the operation of the National Genetic Data Bank (BNDG), which allows the identification of the grandsons and granddaughters that the Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo have been looking for since the dictatorship. ; and the National Administration of National Parks (ANP), putting our protected areas at risk.
  • It introduces modifications to the pension regime, which in a context of extensive labor informality, means that 9 out of 10 women will not be able to retire at age 60 and will have to wait until age 65 to access a Universal Benefit for the Elderly (PUAM), and that 7 out of 10 men will also not be able to retire at age 65, having to opt for a non-contributory pension or a proportional retirement.
  • The fiscal package introduces the elimination of the Social Monotribute, which was a category designed to promote the formalization of lower-income sectors. This measure could affect more than 600,000 workers.
  • The labor reform, in line with the chapter of DNU 70/2023 that was judicialized, implies an enormous reduction in rights, since it encourages unregistered work by eliminating fines and compensation, extending the trial period, among other measures.We insist that this project, even with the modifications that were made from February to today, must have greater public debate and cannot be approved. It affects the rights of workers, deepens gender inequalities, attacks the protection of nature, puts the science and technology system at risk; and subjects several public companies to privatization processes, which are strategic for the development of our country and the defense of sovereignty. 

     

     

    Contact

    Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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ESI because Yes, guaranteeing Comprehensive Sexual Education is expanding rights

This is the slogan of our campaign that seeks to debunk myths about CSE, promote open debates and provide essential knowledge that allows students to exercise their rights and lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

On February 26, students from across the province of Córdoba will begin a new school year. Those who turn eighteen in 2024 will have the same number of years that will be counted in October from the enactment of Law 26,150, known as the Comprehensive Sexual Education Law (ESI). In this return to school, they hope that ESI will finally be implemented in their classes, so as not to continue being part of the 80% of students who consider that it is not applied adequately in their school, according to the data that emerges from a survey carried out by the Huésped Foundation.

“Comprehensive Sexual Education is an inalienable right of students throughout the country who attend both public and private educational establishments, as established by Law 26,150. Although this law has been in force since 2006, its effective compliance has not been achieved and, furthermore, today this right is threatened by strong disinformation campaigns that circulate both in public opinion and in institutional spaces,” explains Mayca Balaguer, executive director. from Fundeps.

Coinciding with the start of classes, at Fundeps we launch the ESI because Yes awareness campaign, with the aim of making adolescents and young people aware that Comprehensive Sexual Education is their right and that it must be guaranteed in all cases. With clear and precise information, the campaign aims to combat false news, myths and hate speech that circulate on social networks, generating confusion and false beliefs about the content and effective practices of the law in schools.

ESI because Yes, is intended mainly for secondary level students in the province, but also for teachers and educational authorities.

“The teaching role is fundamental: teaching sexual education is essential for the eradication of gender violence, the integration of sexual diversity, the prevention of sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, among other issues. ESI is not a gender ideology, but rather a systematic and transversal space for teaching and learning, which ensures the transmission of precise, reliable and appropriate scientific knowledge at each evolutionary stage of the students. Teachers are guarantors of rights,” defines Mayca Balaguer.

In Córdoba, the Provincial Education Law (9870) reinforces adherence to national regulations, both in content and knowledge and in values. However, impediments to its application continue to exist in many institutions. That is why we also bet on networking, together with other organizations committed to the promotion of human rights.

“Guaranteeing ESI is expanding rights. It allows students to be formed who are free in thought and choice, with empathy and the ability to live a full sexuality with respectful bonds, since the very definition of Comprehensive Sexual Education stipulated by Law 26,150 contemplates the articulation of biological, psychological, social, emotional and ethical aspects “, confirms our executive director.

The ESI because Yes campaign will be available on the social networks of Fundeps and allied organizations.

 

Contact

Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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Care as an autonomous human right: contributions for its interpretation

We present three amicus curiae before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to offer some considerations regarding care as a human right. Our participation was part of a collective process that synthesizes specialized knowledge.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

In January, the Argentine State asked the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IAC Court) to issue a ruling regarding “The content and scope of the right to care and its interrelation with other rights.” What motivated this request, according to the different ministries involved, was the opportunity to address gender inequalities by building more fair and equitable standards in terms of care.

Based on this request, the Inter-American Court will issue an Advisory Opinion, previously allowing the involvement of other actors in the interpretative process of this right. At Fundeps we have taken part, along with other spaces, in the construction of a judicial tool called amicus curiae, which enables voluntary participation through a technical-legal opinion. Likewise, we have adhered to the documents prepared by the CLACAI Legal Network and the Red DESC.

This collective work process brought together activists, professors from Latin American and European universities, people from academia and experts from different committees, feminist and human rights organizations. The document presented seeks to provide elements to the court regarding care as a human right: to care, to be cared for, and to self-care.

The document reconstructs the conception of care as a need that transcends interpersonal relationships, in order to consider it “as an inherent process linked to the sustainability of life and well-being.” From this position, the amicus maintains the right to care as an autonomous right that, at the same time, maintains interdependencies with other rights. Thus, considerations were offered regarding its connection with the right to health, sexual and (non) reproductive health, sexual diversity, social security, a healthy environment, the territories and the city. Furthermore, the amicus explained the importance of having systems of indicators – quantitative and qualitative – of human rights, which allow States to produce complete and systematized information, for monitoring compliance with the right to care.

Regarding the enforceability of the State’s obligations, it was stated that the respect, protection and fulfillment of women’s right to non-discrimination and the enjoyment of equality is an obligation derived from this autonomous right. However, it was expressed that it becomes necessary to take into account, from an intersectional perspective, those obligations derived from the right to care in sectors most exposed to vulnerability: people with disabilities and mental health problems, migrants and indigenous peoples.

As a point to highlight, our presentation also raised the importance of community care work, establishing that it takes particular forms in soup kitchens and soup kitchens, picnic areas, kindergartens, medical rooms, among others, to face economic crises. In this sense, the organization mainly of women and dissidents in territories where social inequalities are evident, this type of care allows social reproduction and the sustainability of life.

In conclusion, we maintained that the right to care is an autonomous right that must be guaranteed by States under conditions of universality, equality and non-discrimination. This means the revaluation of care as an independent right that requires both enforceability towards the State, as well as co-responsibility and distribution, involving both society as a whole and the market.

 

See Amicus Curiae

See Amicus Curiae – Red DESC

See Amicus Curiae – CLACAI

 

Author

Carola Bertona

Contacto

Cecilia Bustos Moreschi, cecilia.bustos.moreschi@fundeps.org.

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We accompany La Casita Trans in a lawsuit for discriminatory content

In June of this year, La Casita Trans filed a lawsuit in the jurisdiction of violence against the Medical Council for offering training with pathologizing content. From Fundeps we present an amicus curiae in the case.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

La Casita Trans is a Civil Association of Córdoba that accompanies trans identities and their families. Through different actions they fulfill one of their fundamental objectives: working for the recognition and protection of their rights. They are also a center of support and reference, with a focus on trans masculinities.

At the beginning of this year, through publications on social networks of the Medical Council of the province of Córdoba about training aimed at health professionals, the entity promoted an update program that has a module named “Gender Dysphoria.” La Casita intervened by filing a complaint with INADI, requesting rectification of the training since, with that name, it violates current laws and contains violent and discriminatory content against trans identities.

Given the lack of agreement and appropriate response from the Medical Council, the organization filed a lawsuit to prevent this training module from being carried out. The case is pending before the 3rd Nomination Court of Children, Adolescence, Family and Gender Violence of Córdoba.

At Fundeps we intervened through an amicus curiae in which we confirmed that the pathologization of trans identities violates current legislation, the timeliness of scientific information and constitutes a type of violence. It is particularly dangerous that the entity that regulates and supervises the medical profession in our province dictates training with outdated scientific content. It must be taken into account that the organization is in charge of training professionals who will then reproduce said learning in doctor-patient relationships, with the risk of generating situations of violence, discrimination and violation of human rights.

The current international and national provisions, which in our country have been pioneers and avant-garde in the matter, are essential for the protection and recognition of the human rights of diversities. Therefore, judicial interventions that seek to guarantee its respect and avoid future violations are a key tool to ensure compliance.

In a socio-cultural context that still strains the human rights of people from the LGBTIQ+ community, it is necessary to act against symbolic violence. These violations are directly related to hostile treatment in the field of health, which influences trans people to avoid it so as not to be (re)victimized.

The State, private entities and society must focus on supporting the diversity of gender experiences, celebrating the identity of each person and creating inclusive spaces that promote the well-being and safety of trans people.

See Amicus curiae

 

Autora

Luz Baretta

Contacto

Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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Breaking the mold: advocacy from a feminist perspective

From Fundeps, together with IDEJUS and Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, we present “Breaking schemes: a Conversation on Feminist Litigation” at the Faculty of Law of the National University of Córdoba. We spoke with an international panel of lawyers with outstanding experience in the defense of human rights.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

On Friday, September 15, within the framework of the optional subject “Feminist Litigation: Legal Strategies for Gender Equality” taught this semester at the Faculty of Law, the first discussion on feminist litigation took place. The subject addresses conceptual issues about strategic litigation and feminist criticism of law, with a practical part in which cases and experiences are studied. The teaching team is made up of lawyers from Fundeps, CDD and IDEJUS.

With the participation of Lucía de la Vega (CELS), Soledad Deza (Women x Women), Mariela Galeazzi (Amnesty International), Patricia Sotile (Latin American Justice and Gender Team) and Natalia Acevedo Guerrero (O’Neill Institute for Law and Global and National Health from Georgetown University), we talked about her experience in social organizations and in the development of strategic litigation, the obstacles to the practice of law with a feminist perspective and her response to all types of judicial controversies. They highlighted the importance of collective and interdisciplinary work for comprehensive approaches and the need for training in feminist and human rights perspectives in the legal field.

With a review of those causes in which they participated, the progress of the integration of perspectives for real access to justice and the importance of its promotion and dissemination was analyzed.

Through these instances, in line with what was discussed with the panel and with the institutional support of the Faculty of Law, we are committed to contributing to the training of legal professionals with a gender perspective.

 

Author

Luz Baretta

Contact

Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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Abortion rights advocacy work is collective and international

During the last few months we have participated in international training, exchange and strengthening of the struggle for the right to access to abortion in the continent.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

Both the organization for advocacy and the difficulties involved are a common factor of the movements in the struggle for access to abortion throughout the region. With their differences and local particularities, a large group of people are part of international instances to share experiences and perspectives.

A tide that crosses borders

In February, following the new scenario that emerged with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the famous “Roe v. Wade” ruling, the Green Wave Gathering was held in Washington, D.C. More than one hundred leaders and activists from the Americas participated under a fundamental premise of the feminist movement: joining forces. During three days, there were multiple tables of exchange and presentation of the problems of each country and the ways to address them, focusing on the construction of an intersectional and decolonial perspective of struggle. The meeting ended with a pañuelazo at Freedom Plaza, where the artwork created by the artist Paola Mendoza, representing the connection between the two continents for reproductive justice, was exhibited. In addition, the artwork pays tribute to the activists who have worked tirelessly to promote reproductive rights in both regions.

 

 

Persisting for change: abortion is our right

In June we also participated in the VII Regional Conference of CLACAI (Latin American Consortium Against Unsafe Abortion) which took place in Panama City, Panama. The Conference brought together health and legal professionals and journalists working for the defense of abortion rights from eighteen Latin American countries. There were multiple spaces for debate, training and collective construction for a comprehensive approach to the proposal. We would especially highlight the first face-to-face meeting of the recent Youth Network for the Right to Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is presented as a powerful space for the future of the movement.

The exchange of regional experiences and the strengthening of networks is one of the great signs that the struggle is collective.

 

 

Networked law

In line with the strengthening of networks and as part of the CLACAI Legal Network, we recently presented an Amicus Curiae before the Constitutional Court of Colombia. This action is framed in a case about a situation of multiple violence in the care of a young woman’s termination of pregnancy.

Through these instances we fight for the participation and collective and regional construction of the legal recognition of the right to access to safe abortions, the construction of public policies and standards respectful of the human and fundamental rights of pregnant women.

 

Author

Luz Baretta

Contact

Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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Training cycle: Rethinking the Economy, a feminist look

From August 5 to September 30 we will carry out a training cycle on Feminist Economics at the UPC. It is aimed at self-management organizations, enterprises, cooperatives, unions, academic spaces, civil society organizations, social and feminist movements and interested people in the Province of Córdoba.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

Did you know that women dedicate twice as much time as men to domestic and care work, and that this affects them, leading them to situations of greater precariousness and poverty?
We know this data from the contributions of Feminist Economics. This offers a critical perspective that allows us to discuss the limits of conventional economics, recognizing the activities that take place in the realm of “the private” and demonstrating that they are essential for life to happen. It contributes to reflections on the economic aspects of the lives of women and LGTBIQANoBi+ and how they are related to access to their rights.

The critical approach of Feminist Economics allows us to analyze the complexity of economic reality, not only to better understand it but also to transform it. That is why it is a commitment to establish the bases towards “another, fairer economy” in which we can participate.

For this reason, we invite you to participate in a training cycle for mutual learning and critical reflection from the tools provided by the Feminist Economy. It is aimed at self-managed organizations, enterprises and cooperatives, unions, academic spaces, civil society organizations, social and feminist movements and people interested in the subject of the Province of Córdoba.

We hope that this space generates powerful dialogues between the conceptual assumptions of this perspective and the life and organizational experiences themselves, to problematize the living conditions and build foundations that sustain and strengthen experiences that bet on the sustainability of life.

Schedule and contents
The cycle will take place in the City of Arts of the Provincial University of Córdoba, on Saturday August 5, 19 and 26 and September 9, 23 and 30. The meetings will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The training is made up of 4 modules organized in a comprehensive and sequenced manner to be able to delve into specific topics and debates at each meeting.

For more information, download the content program 

Inscription
It is possible to enroll in the complete cycle as in 1 or more separate modules. We recommend participation in the entire cycle to have a full and deep understanding of the proposed themes.

Interested persons must register through the following form. We will prioritize the participation of feminized subjects and the LGTTTBIQ+ community.
The registration deadline is July 30 inclusive.

Transfer grants
We will provide transfer scholarships so that distance is not an impediment to participation from different parts of the province of Córdoba.
Because we have a quota of transfer scholarships, we will prioritize those who do not reside in the City of Córdoba and cannot afford transportation.
The application for these scholarships is made through the registration form. We will communicate directly with those who access the scholarship up to a week before the start of the cycle.

Accreditations
People who attend the training, either the full cycle or one of its modules, will receive the corresponding accreditation certificate endorsed by the Feminist Economics Space, Fundeps and the University Extension Secretariat of the Provincial University of Córdoba.

Organized by: Fundeps, Espacio de Economía Feminista and Fundación Heinrich Böll.
Support: Provincial University of Córdoba

More information

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Pañuelos en Lucha: a podcast on feminist action for the sanction and defense of the abortion law

We present “Pañuelos en lucha”, a series of four episodes that highlights the testimonies of different people who fought for the sanction of the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Law in Argentina and continue to raise their handkerchiefs to defend it.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The project, carried out together with Parque Podcast and with the support of the Mujeres del Sur Fund, has as its protagonists the voices of women and gender dissidence members of the green tide, who had some type of participation in the process prior to the enactment of the law , and in its subsequent implementation and defense.

Based on the collection of testimonies and the sound archive that brings together experiences from different parts of the country, we tell the story of the enactment of the IVE law and what came after. The objective of this sound essay is to serve as a historical account that recovers and reconstructs various forms of organization and strategies of struggle of the movements in favor of reproductive autonomy.

We set out to reflect how, despite the actions and strategies implemented by conservative and religious fundamentalist groups, the sanction could be obtained and work continues for its full implementation.

Each episode poses a fight scenario. In the first, “The desire made law”, we develop how the conquest process was experienced in Congress, during the vigils, and what the collective achievement of a law means. In the second, “Not a step back”, we reflect on how this right is accessed in health systems. In the third, “Winning the courts”, we tell how the judicial scenario is constituted as a space for dispute. Finally, in the fourth, “Abortion after abortion”, we propose some reflections on the pending challenges and how we see the future.

The ideation process of each episode and the collection of testimonies was carried out by the staff and volunteers from Fundeps’ Gender and Sexual Diversity and Communication areas. The script was written by Florencia Flores Iborra. The recording was in charge of Leticia Riera. The mixing and sound design was in charge of Paula Manini and the locution was by Constanza Barbisan.

 

We invite you to listen to it!

 ACCESSED ALL EPISODES

 

And here we share the transcriptions of the scripts for each episode:

 

Contact

Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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Provincial justice confirms that abortion is law in Córdoba

A new judicial rejection of those who seek to take away our rights

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

Today, the First Administrative Contentious Chamber of the Province of Córdoba has confirmed the constitutionality of abortion by rejecting the unfounded injunction filed against the application of Law 27610 in our province. This decision makes it clear that legal proceedings should not be used as a tool to obstruct the exercise of human rights for women and individuals with the capacity to become pregnant.

Despite the futile attacks and the displeasure of groups seeking to roll back the acquired rights over our bodies, abortion is protected by law and enjoys broad legal and social consensus.

Key points from the court ruling:

The Chamber has decided to reject the injunction with the votes of two judges, Ángel Antonio Gutiez and Gabriela Cáceres. Judge Leonardo Massimino issued a dissenting opinion.

Judge Gutiez states that the action should be rejected outright because it is merely an expression of dissatisfaction with Law 27610, rather than a challenge to local legislation or public policy that would justify the injunction. However, due to the significance of the underlying issue and its various impacts on society, he addresses the plaintiff’s arguments.

Firstly, he affirms that Law 27610 is the result of balancing fundamental rights by the legislators of the National Congress in the legitimate exercise of their powers and as representatives of the whole society. These rights encompass those of the hypothetical human being in the womb and those of women and individuals with other gender identities who have the capacity to become pregnant.

Regarding the protection of the right to life, the ruling states that, contrary to the plaintiff’s claim of absolute protection of life from conception, “in our legal system, human life, since its beginning at conception, receives varying degrees of protection that increase as the fetus grows. If born alive, that ‘child’ obtains the full range of rights that protect an individual who can live independently outside the body that hosted them throughout their life until its end.” This gradual and incremental protection of the right to life arises from the American Convention on Human Rights and the interpretation made by the Inter-American Commission on Article 4 in the “Baby Boy” case. Therefore, legislation that allows exceptional cases that restrict the broad concept of the right to life, such as Law 27610, is respectful of this treaty.

Regarding the purpose of Law 27610, the judge asks why there was a need for a law on access to voluntary termination of pregnancy. The ruling states that the reasons why a woman wishes to have an abortion can be manifold, but they are all intimately personal, and it is her sole responsibility to assess them. The ruling emphasizes that it is the woman who will have to carry the result of conception in her body for nine months, with all the risks involved, and who will have to give birth, with all the pain and risks that entails, even with the advances in modern medicine. The ruling states that in a reality where abortions occur, whether legal or illegal, Law 27610 should only be seen as a measure of healthcare; nothing more than that. The law’s sole purpose is to ensure that women who decide to have an abortion, guided solely by their conscience, can do so under appropriate healthcare conditions, allowing them to terminate the pregnancy without the risk of death or permanent sterility, among other equally undesirable outcomes.

The ruling unequivocally affirms that “the law does not encourage the killing of children; the law does not promote abortions. The only thing the law does is to permit women who decide to have an abortion to do so in an environment where their health is protected. […] What a woman seeks through abortion is to free herself from the pregnancy itself and from the care of a child that may be born. Which of these reasons or others leads her to make that momentous decision belongs to her innermost sphere, and the State cannot, in order to protect a potential person, so severely restrict a woman’s will.”

Regarding the provincial and national competencies in health matters, the plaintiff argued that the national government exceeded its powers by enacting the law, and therefore, the province should not have applied it within its territory. However, the Chamber understands that the powers over health policy are concurrent between the Nation and the province of Córdoba, and it states that “issues related to health law and public health can be regulated by federal or national laws. Asserting the opposite would be tantamount to postulating the unconstitutionality of laws on organ transplants (24,193), sexual health (25,673), patient rights (26,529), mental health (26,657), vaccination (27,491), comprehensive health care during pregnancy and early childhood (27,611), among others.”

Regarding the lack of a specific case to trigger the constitutional review, the injunction requested the declaration of unconstitutionality of the law in the province. However, the Chamber understands that there is no concrete case on which to apply constitutional review. In this regard, it states that “the Argentine system of judicial control over norms with respect to the Constitution is diffuse, meaning that any court can exercise it in the case presented for its resolution. What cannot be done, not even by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, even if it issues a hundred identical judgments, is to universally repeal the application of a law enacted by the National Congress.”

Regarding the relevance of the Supreme Court precedent in the FAL case, the plaintiff requested the declaration of unconstitutionality of several articles of Law 27610, particularly focusing on Article 16. This article amends Article 86 of the Penal Code, which previously regulated abortions in exceptional cases. The Chamber notes that the Supreme Court already ruled on this issue in the FAL case in 2012, a discussion that the plaintiff seeks to reopen, and states that “all the tortuous imagination displayed by the plaintiff in imagining extreme and barbaric scenarios to try to validate his position has a response in the very Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation” which ruled on this matter in the FAL case.

Regarding the rights of women and individuals with the capacity to become pregnant, Judge Gutiez points out that the plaintiff completely disregards the rights granted to women and pregnant individuals by International Treaties, as well as the National and Provincial Constitutions. He notes that the plaintiff diminishes women as holders of their own rights, “treating them more as mere receptacles for unborn individuals.”

Finally, in concluding the ruling, the judge states that: “The era we live in our country has meant and means progress in recognizing the rights of women as such, demolishing barriers, preconceptions, stigmas, and prejudices; recognizing their unique and singular entity and identity. Among these essential rights is the simple right to choose; the right to choose whom to relate to and how; the right to choose to have or not to have children; the right to choose how far she wants to advance in her career, work, or profession, breaking any glass ceiling; the right to independently decide what to do with her body. Law No. 27,610 allows women to exercise one of these choices without interference from any other person, religious organization, or the State.”

With this ruling, the judiciary reaffirms that abortion is a right that all women and individuals with the capacity to become pregnant in the province of Córdoba can enjoy within frameworks of respect and dignity.

Therefore, today and always, we will continue raising our flags: throughout the country, abortion is legal.

Access the full ruling for more information.

 

Contact 

Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org

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Training to guarantee careful practices of Voluntary and Legal Interruption of Pregnancy in towns of Córdoba

Together with the ECOS Foundation, during the months of October, November and December 2022 we were participating in different training and education instances where we addressed fundamental contents to carry out careful accompaniment and guarantee safe practices of Voluntary and Legal Interruption of Pregnancy (IVE / ILE ) from an integral and human rights perspective. These spaces were especially aimed at health personnel.

“Below, we offer a google translate version of the original article in Spanish. This translation may not be accurate but serves as a general presentation of the article. For more accurate information, please switch to the Spanish version of the website. In addition, feel free to directly contact in English the person mentioned at the bottom of this article with regards to this topic”.

The training meetings were held in collaboration with the Aurelio Crespo de Cruz del Eje Regional Hospital, the Villa Dolores Regional Hospital, the Dr. Luis María Bellodi Regional Hospital of Mina Clavero, the Villa Carlos Paz Municipal Hospital and the Peasant Movement of Cordoba in the town of Villa de Soto. Around 180 people participated, including health authorities, health professionals, nursing staff, administrative staff, students from disciplines related to health, community health promoters and the general public.

In each meeting, training was provided on the current legal framework that regulates the legal and voluntary interruption of pregnancy, with a detailed development of Law 27,610 and Law 26,529, which regulates the rights of patients in their relationship with professionals and institutions. Of the health. The training also consisted of the development of technical content for the comprehensive approach to careful follow-up, in compliance with internationally recommended parameters to guarantee safe practices of Voluntary and Legal Interruption of Pregnancy (IVE/ILE).

Within the framework of the trainings, we present and distribute our Guide to careful practices for the care of the interruption of pregnancy. It is a document that addresses legal and health aspects based on current legislation, international standards and the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Through these instances of training and training aimed at health personnel, we intend to collaborate with the refinement and improvement of this practice from a legal and comprehensive perspective, respectful of human rights and in line with the most current regulations on health matters. In this way, we support the training of health personnel who facilitate the exercise of the rights of women and people with the capacity to gestate, whom we consider guarantors of rights and defenders of human rights.

Authors

Luz Baretta

Mayca Balaguer

Contact

Mayca Balaguer, maycabalaguer@fundeps.org