Singing, Painting and Marching Towards Legal Abortion in Argentina

“Today we fight

For our dreams

Come now, let’s go, now, now, now, now!

Never again

will there be silence”

For over 100 years, abortion has remained illegal in Argentina. Exceptions to this law arise only in the case of rape or when a mother’s life is at risk (Public Radio International). Yet approximately 500,000 women receive illegal, often unsafe abortions each year, making the act a leading cause for maternal mortality that could be avoided (The National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion).

Amplified by particularly violent femicides in 2015 and the Senate’s failure to pass to a bill to legalize abortion in June 2019, a feminist movement has permeated plazas, subways and stages. In order to resist gender-based violence and promote just legislation, supporters cry the phrase “Ni una menos”, or “Not one less,” to accompany protests, performances and gatherings. Although legal abortion dominated political agenda last year, the bill was defeated in the Senate after intense lobbying by the Catholic Church and conservative provinces (The New York Times).

Thousands of activists have mobilized across Argentina, taking to the streets to protest and raising awareness on social media with hashtags such as #NiUnaMenos, #AbortoLegal and #QueSeaLey. Efforts did not subside after a single march. The fight to decriminalize abortion falls within the context of a larger campaign supporting feminism and human rights. Specifically, the National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion works under the phrase: “Educación sexual para decidir, anticonceptivos para no abortar, aborto legal para no morir,” or “Sex education to decide, contraceptives to not abort, legal abortion to not die.”

I’ve encountered the movement’s traces in many an unexpected place--manifestos scrawled across the inside of bathroom stall doors, free “Aborto Legal” stickers offered while buying art, zines centered around the theme. The normality of this conversation reduces its stigma, making conversations about reproductive health a daily occurrence on the street.

Activism promoting legal abortion takes a highly visual form in Buenos Aires. The movement’s official color is green, chosen because green was not already associated with a social movement (for instance, purple is the color for feminism, orange is associated with the church, etc). Thus, a “green wave” has emerged, drawing support from diverse social movements, labor unions, academic institutions and NGOs. Most prominently, green handkerchiefs created by The National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion mark backpacks, purses and individuals’ bodies around the city. I’ve found these handkerchiefs a particularly effective expression of solidarity. During my daily commutes, a simple piece of green cloth gives me a sense of a stranger’s values and a reminder of the need to keep fighting for a fair law.

Musical performances also provide intimate settings for engaging with a vast political movement. I had the chance to see the Kullaka Música duo one evening and was drawn to the demands made melodious by ringing voices, guitar strumming and claps inviting listeners in. Music assumes both personal and political qualities, providing tangible forms of connection whether one focuses on the lyrics, the performer’s style of expression, or the other viewer’s reactions around them. This shared experience enables individuals to join in support of the movement through the mediums they associate most with.

Amidst rampant change, the campaign’s work remains ever pertinent. In November 2019, outgoing President Mauricio Macri’s administration revoked a protocol only hours after it was published that would have provided adolescents (under 16 years of age) the right to choose in cases meeting the current law’s conditions (Buenos Aires Times). Argentina’s incoming president, Alberto Fernandez, has promised to decriminalize abortion, though his timeline remains unclear.

Throughout my past four months in Buenos Aires, the collective nature of the legal abortion movement has stood out unlike other political campaigns I’ve observed. Instead of focusing on attacking pro-life supporters or planning single-day political events, the legal abortion movement is a normal aspect of daily life, centered around support, justice and visibility. These strategies call us to question how we can go about de-stigmatizing, increasing visiblity and mobilizing other legal abortion movements to a similar extent.

#QueSeaLey // #ItWillBeLaw

-- Julia

Davidson student, avid planner, and baking enthusiast with a love for river-centered cities.

Sources to learn more:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/world/americas/argentina-abortion-laws-south-america.html

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/abortion-rights-campaigners-flood-streets-buenos-aires-190220143549930.html

https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/government-pulls-new-protocol-for-non-punishable-abortions-amid-controversy.phtml

https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/argentina/law-to-decriminalise-abortion-will-go-to-congress-as-soon-as-possible-fernandez-says.phtml

https://latindispatch.com/2019/05/30/argentina-abortion-green-wave/

https://www.lanacion.com.ar/sociedad/aborto-que-simboliza-el-panuelo-verde-nid2114538