Women in Argentina

In Argentina female population overtakes male as it does in most of latin american countries. And this numeric majority hasn’t prevented yet women and girls from all types of violence from physical, physiquicall, economic, obstetric to its worst form: femicide.-

In spite of the efforts made by the latest governments, statistics show that no international pact or law has been enough in the main object Ttoeradicate gender inequality and violence against women. Moreover, the numbers are increasing in a disturbing way that IT concerns all argentinian society.-

But not only violence is one of the main problematic issues about women in Argentina. A recent investigation shows that in the last three years there has been stagnation and a great fall of women participation in labor market. According to the report, this is due to the fact that once a woman with a stable job gets pregnant with more than two children, she has difficulties to recover her productivity. Domestic work and children care affect her working output.-

It is also remarkable that in the last decade teen pregnancy has become one of the biggest problems to argentinian females. From 700 thousands births a year, 16% proceed from teen moms from 15 to 19 years. This percentage increases in some provinces (Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán, Corrientes, Misiones) to 20% or 25%, affecting education or future incomes.-

However it is the number of women murders, femicides, that has alarmed argentinian society of the real situation of violence against women in Argentina. A woman dies every 30 hours and this fact is a result of the investigation of society organizations. They were the first institutions that focus seriously on this variable. Since then government organisms have started their own registration and index of femicides.-

Then it is a reality that women murders are not isolated numbers. Most of the femicides take place in families with low incomes, where the victim is a woman that hasn’t finished. the obligatory educational level or does not have a stable job. In other words IT is a woman a woman captive of her low educational and economic level. She goes from a parent economic dependency to depend socially and economically on her boyfriend or husband.-

Still the challenges and opportunities are enormous. Thousands of women and girls are raised and born in Argentina in a cultural context highly influenced by paternalistic stereotypes. If all the actors of public and particular ateas? think and work articulately on the design and reinforcement of public policies to assure equals access to education, labor market, health system, women will be able to fully participate in society.

As said, women also have vast possibilities. In the 21st century, they are not alone. Most of them can reach communication technologies and social media which has become a non conventional way not only to access education but also to gather all in a unique voice of justice that claims: «Not one less» (Ni una menos). All they need is to have guaranteed a real access to equal opportunities to empower all their aptitudes and abilities.-