Strategies to Deny Rights
In 2018, Argentina underwent a historical debate on the right to abortion with the passing of the Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy Law (VTP Law 27610). For this to take place, the progress made on consolidating and making women's and feminist movements and, specially, the “green wave” (which grew stronger after the 2018 legislative debate), politically visible was essential. However, this has not been an easy path. The Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy Bill rejection in 2018 gave an important boost to anti-choice groups, which kept on growing and relentlessly fighting back to prevent the passing of the Bill and to put barriers to the access to this right in 2020. This document compiles anti-choice groups’ strategies used during the legislative debate on the VTP Bill that took place in 2020 in Argentina, and also the legal actions taken after the passing of the Law to hinder the access to these rights. Now that anti-choice, conservative and fundamentalist groups are more present than ever throughout the region, it is essential that feminist and women's movements strategically fight to dismantle the consequences of the hate and intolerance messages and actions of these groups. We hope this document may contribute to strengthen and protect sexual and reproductive rights in Argentina and region-wide, and that the pro-choice movement keeps on growing stronger until abortion is legal throughout Latin America.
2021 - Maïte Karstanje, Nadia Ferrari & Zoe Verón