From Conquer to Regression: Milei’s Argentina Against Gender Equality

Translated by Valeria D’Alessandro

June 3rd, 2015, following the feminicide of 14-year-old Chiara Paez, around 300,000 women filled public squares across Argentina, powerfully and unanimously shouting in protest: “¡Ni Una Menos!” This cry—charged with frustration and rage against the impunity of surrounding gender-based violence—marked the birth of a movement that, in less than a decade, would drive significant progress in policies supporting women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. With the same determination and courage once shown of grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo, a new generation of Argentinian women carried their message far beyond national borders. The #NiUnaMenos movement inspired similar protests and initiatives in countries such as Peru, Uruguay, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, and even in Italy—where campaigns under the same name, or other like #MeToo and #MiPrimeroAcoso (My first harassment) began to emerge.

In the years following the emergence of #NiUnaMenos, Argentinian women witnessed the approval of long-awaited laws aimed at protecting their rights and addressing gender inequality.

Among the most significant achievements were:

• The Gender Parity Law in Politics (2017): This legislation mandated the alteration of male and female candidates on electoral lists for the National Congress and the Mercosur Parliament.
• The Creation of the Ministerio de las Mujeres, Generos y Diversidad (Ministry of Women, Genders and Diversity) (2019): Establish to promote and protect the rights of women and LGBTQ+ community, the ministry develops policies, allocated funding, and implements programs to combat gender-based violence.
• Michaela Law (2019): A landmark regulation requiring all public officials, at every level of government, to receive training on gender issues and violence against women.
• The Acompañar Program (2020): One of the most effective initiatives of its kind, it provided financial support equivalent to six months of minimum wage to approximately 325,385 women, helping them escape violent situations.
• The Legalization of Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy (2021): A historic milestone for Argentinian feminism, granting legal access to abortion and marking a major victory for reproductive rights.

The #NiUnaMenos movement sparked a wave of reforms that significantly improved the lives of Argentinian women. However, a decade later, the country that once stood as a global example in the feminist struggle is now facing a troubling regression in human rights. Following the election of Javier Milei in 2023, prominent Argentinian activists have warned of a systemic attack on the feminist movement. As a concrete sign of this rollback, one of the first actions taken by the La Libertad Avanza was the dismantling of the Ministry for Women, Genders, and Diversity—signaling what many fear is only the beginning of a broader retreat from gender rights protections.

However, this shift was not unexpected. The entire campaign of La Libertad Avanza was built on aggressive and hostile rhetoric toward minorities and women, and the new administration never concealed its intentions. It is no surprise, then, that Milei’s victory quickly led to the dismantling many of hard-won feminist advances, undermining key tools designed to prevent, address, and eliminate gender-based violence.

After downgrading the Ministry of Women, Genders, and Diversity to a mere undersecretariat with minimal funding, the government introduced the proposed law titles “Bases and Starting Points for the Freedom of Argentinians.” This sweeping legislative initiative seeks to overhaul foundational rights protections. Among the most concerning proposals is the repeal of the 2017 gender parity law, which guarantees equal representation of women and men on electoral lists—potentially reopening the door to governments composed entirely of men.

Moreover, the reform project includes changes to the Micaela law, limiting mandatory training on gender violence to only those departments already specialized in the issue. This shift risks undermining the law’s primary objective: to raise awareness and educate the entire public sector, not just those already trained.

The picture becomes even more alarming when considering the government’s decisions regarding prevention and support for victims of violence. In a country like Argentina, where a feminicide occurs every 27 hours and where the home—rather than public spaces—remains the most dangerous place for women, the government’s choice to cut funding for protective policies and victim assistance is deeply concerning. More specifically, the government eliminated funding for free legal counsel for victims of sexual abuse, while drastically reducing funds for trafficking victim assistance by 87,7%. The budget for the 144-emergency hotline, which provides 24/7 support to women and members of the LGBTQ+ community facing violence, was reduced by 61%. The Acompañar program, which had supported thousands of women in need, saw a 50% reduction in its budget, slashing both financial assistance and the duration of support from six months to just three. In other words, the policies adopted by the Milei government put Argentinian women who seek to report violence at risk, offering little to no genuine economic or political support to help them escape these situations.

One of the most controversial statements on gender violence came on January 24, during the World Economic Forum. On that occasion, the Argentinian government announced—“in name of equality”—its intention to eliminate feminicide as an aggravating in the penal code. According to President Milei and his Justice Minister, Mariano Cúneo Libarona, maintaining feminicide as an aggravating circumstance constitutes a form of “privilege” for women, suggesting that it implies a woman’s life is more valuable than a man’s. In doing so, the term feminicide is reduced to what they portray as a distorted and misleading concept—ignoring the structural, gender-based nature of such crimes.

As highlighted by the European Institute for Gender Equality, (EIGE), feminicide is a systemic phenomenon involving the killing of women and girls specifically because of their gender. Denying its specificity means minimizing one of the most extreme and tragic expressions of patriarchal violence—an issue with not only legal implications, but also deep cultural and symbolic resonance.

It is increasingly evident that the Casa Rosada is engaged in a targeted rollback of protections for women, dismantling laws and programs that impact nearly every aspect of their lives. Leading activists within Argentina’s feminist movements fear that the legalization of abortion—achieved after years of tireless mobilization—could be the next achievement to fall under government hits. This concern is reinforced by President Javier Milei’s public statements and by his administration’s early actions, including the suspension of procurement for essential medical supplies used in safe abortion procedures.

In line with the rhetoric of the La Libertad Avanza government—strongly opposed not only to abortion but also to a woman’s right to freely decide if and when to become a mother—the ENIA Plan (Estrategia Nacional de Prevención del Embarazo No Intencional en la Adolescencia) was completely dismantled. This program, introduced under former President Mauricio Macri, provided free access to modern contraceptive methods, such as subdermal implants, and significantly contributed to a sharp decline in teenage pregnancy—cutting rates by half in just a few years.

The decision of Casa Rosada go far beyond the symbolic—they are producing concrete and devastating effects on the lives of thousands. According to the latest report from the Centro de Economía Política Argentina (CEPA), cuts to social spending, combined with those directly targeting programs supporting women’s inclusion, have widened gender inequalities in the labor market. Compared to 2023, the female unemployment rate rose to 7.9%, compared to 6.2% for men. The report highlights a troubling increase in the feminization of poverty. The rate of informal employment among women grew by 3.7 percentage points, reaching 38.7%, compared to 35% for men. This rise in informality has had direct consequences on both working conditions and wages. The gender pay gap now stands at 27.7%, meaning that, on average, women earn nearly a third less that men. These figures unequivocally demonstrate that the economic and social policies of Milei’s government have had regressive and profoundly unequal effects—systemically disadvantaging women and deepening structural inequalities already deeply rooted in Argentinian society.

But the impact of the President’s policies extends beyond the institutional sphere. The toxic climate generated by his speeches and aggressive rhetoric legitimates violent behavior—even in public spaces. The hatred spread by the head of state is translating into real-world attacks: several prominent feminist figures in Argentina—including actresses, journalists, and writers—have become targets of hate campaigns, particularly on social media.

Among the most affected is Luciana Peker, a well-known journalist, activist and author of La revolución de las hijas (The Daughters’ Revolution). After receiving multiple death threats, Peker was forced to leave Argentina for her safety. A year ago, she wrote a piece for the The Guardian with an emblematic title: “Women's rights are disappearing in Argentina. Don't be complacent - yours could be next to go.”

It was a powerful warning from a woman who had to go into exile to continue defending women’s rights. Her words serve as a call to awareness and a reminder of the invaluable victories won through years of struggle and resistance—emphasizing how much easier it is to lose rights than to gain them.

Nicole Mancinelli

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