Argentina's Milei Has Declared War on Women's Rights

[Judi Lynn]

Women hold up signs in a march marking the ninth anniversary of the Ni Una Menos, or Not One Woman Less, movement, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 3, 2024 (AP photo by Natacha Pisarenko).

Story by Cora Fernández Anderson • 10h • 6 min read

Argentina has long been a leader in the Americas when it comes to protecting sexual and reproductive rights and advancing gender equality. It was the first country in the Western Hemisphere to pass a gender quota law for political representation in 1991 and the second to legalize same-sex marriage in 2010. It passed one of the most progressive gender identity laws in the world in 2012. Finally, in 2020, Argentina legalized abortion on demand, becoming the third country in Latin America to do so.

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This wave of victories for feminist movements and progressive politics came to a halt, however, when President Javier Milei took office in December 2023. Elected the previous month with 56 percent of the vote in the middle of a deep economic crisis, Milei ran on a far-right libertarian platform that promised to slash the state and put an end to what he characterized as the corrupt “political caste.” In a recent interview, Milei made clear that he views his role as “the mole in the state,” adding, “I am the one who destroys the state from within.’

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In a particular display of cruelty, Milei interrupted the delivery of food supplies to the country’s 35,000 soup kitchens, which are a vital source of sustenance for Argentines reeling from the country’s catastrophic economic crisis. By March—Milei’s fourth month in power—the percentage of people living under the poverty line is estimated to have leaped from 44.7 percent to 55.5 percent, and the level of indigence went from 9.6 percent to 17.5 percent. In the name of reducing the deficit, Milei has even cut the supply of cancer medication provided by the state to patients that cannot otherwise afford their treatment.

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Milei’s deeply held grudge against gender policy is not unique. Like other far-right leaders around the world, such as Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Milei often uses virulent rhetoric to demonize gender inclusivity and feminism. During his presidential campaign, he repeatedly called abortion murder and pledged to repeal its legalization if elected.

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