Abortion has been illegal in Argentina for more than 100 years. The law was amended in 1921, allowing for exceptions to be made when a mother’s life is at risk or when a woman has been the victim of rape or incest.
Although abortion is illegal and no official figures are available, the number of abortions nationwide is estimated at between 350,000 and 500,000 each year, according to a publication from the Latin American and Caribbean Center of Demography.
Today, the conversation around abortion is changing. A bill to legalize abortion failed in Argentina’s Senate last summer, but many women are hopeful that it will be decriminalized in the near future. Abortion rights activists are taking to the streets, and the color green has become synonymous with the growing movement.
In contrast, the anti-abortion campaign, which has the slogan “Save Two Lives,” as in the life of a woman and her unborn baby, uses the color blue.
A number of women seeking abortions as well as physicians, politicians, media personalities and artists are making their voices heard. Here are 12 women fighting for a say on reproductive rights in Argentina.
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