The Campaign for Legal, Safe, and Free Abortion, an umbrella group headed by a handful of established independent activists and representatives from left and center-left organizations, has presented the IVE Bill seven times over the last thirteen years. Six times in a row it was shelved by lawmakers. This time was different. It came on the heels of a feminist revolution that has taken Argentina and the world by storm.
The proclamation of Pope Francis — an Argentinian — in 2013, and the election of conservative President Mauricio Macri in 2015, seemed to have taken abortion off the table. Then came #NiUnaMenos. The femicide of fourteen-year old Chiara Páez in 2015 prompted a group of women journalists to call for demonstrations against gender violence. An estimated two hundred thousand turned out. [...]
The truth is that the congressional debate of the IVE Bill is a product of the unbearable pressure exerted by the feminist movement. If Macri thought it could benefit him in any way, it’s backfired. He unleashed a feminist tidal wave focused primarily against his party, most of whose lawmakers oppose the bill. This generated a crisis among his base, which now holds him responsible for opening the door to legal abortion. One conservative group, for example, pasted posters all over Buenos Aires that pictured Macri with blood on his hands and read “No to Macri’s abortion law.” [...]
Unfortunately, the Campaign’s leadership adopted a mistaken triumphalist position, summed up in the slogan “abortion will be law on the 8th.” It placed excessive confidence in parliamentary negotiations, channeling efforts away from the streets and towards lobbying. The demobilizing effect was evident at the Tuesday pañuelazos, which were significantly smaller than before the June 14 vote.
