Engendering Democracy: The Significance of Abortion Legalization in Argentina

In December 2020, first trimester abortion was legalized in Argentina with the passage of Law 27.610. This historic move presents an inflection point for Argentine democracy, as well as a case study in how rights concepts can be deployed effectively to advance reproductive justice. In this event, key actors in the long struggle for legalization — including representatives from the executive and the legislative branches of government, as well as civil society, together with legal academics and health professionals — will describe the complicated and multi-staged narrative of how Argentina arrived at this point. Panelists will reflect on the legislation’s significance in engendering Argentine democracy, and consider challenges to implementation across a diverse country with a significant Catholic population. The discussion also will address the so-called “Green Wave” of feminist mobilization for this law, and its broader implications for advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality across the region. Panelists Chairs and Moderators: Alicia Ely Yamin, Senior Fellow, Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School; Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health; Research Leader, Gender Sexuality and the Law Unit, UiB-CMI Centre on Law and Transformation; and Paola Bergallo, Director, Gender Team at Fundar; Associate Professor of Law, School of Law, Universidad Torcuato di Tella and Adjunct Researcher, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) Brenda Austin, Congresswoman, Unión Cívica RadicalDora Barrancos, Senate Candidate, Frente de TodesSandra Formia, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, former Provincial Coordinator, Sexual and Reproductive Health, Santa Fe Province (2017-2019)Natalia Gherardi, Executive Director, Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género (ELA)Vilma Ibarra, Legal and Technical Secretary, Presidency of ArgentinaSilvia Lospennato, Congresswoman, PROSilvina Ramos, Technical Coordinator, National Plan for the Prevention and Reduction of Unintentional Pregnancy in Adolescence (Plan Enia); Advisor, National Directorate of Sexual and Reproductive Health of the Ministry of Health of the Natio