Argentina: Feminists Demand More Women Candidates for Elections

Feminists organizations of Argentina have come together to launch a campaign seeking inclusion of women in electoral lists for the presidential and legislative elections next October.

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The deadline for political parties and coalitions to submit their list of candidates is Saturday, June 29.

The Argentinian feminists started the slogan #MujeresEnLasListas (Women On The Lists), demanding that more women and feminists have access to political spaces and are welcomed as leaders in order to close the gender gap in political decision-making arenas.

A parity law put in force March 8, requires all parties competing in national elections to present lists of an equal number of men and women candidates. It was passed in 2017 but not enforced until this year.

"Let's join #FeministasEnLasListas to close the gender gap", tweeted #MujeresEnLasListas leader and Buenos Aires politician, Margarita Stolbizer. Lawmaker for Front for Victory, Gabriela Cerruti, said that women have that to break the glass ceiling as equality will not be gained if the women do not have political power. Front for Victory has put forth former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner as their vice presidential candidate.

Somos Party lawmaker, Victoria Donda, is also publicly supporting the campaign.

Despite a strong feminist movement in Argentina as exemplified with Ni Una Menos (not one less) against femicides and Aborto Libre for legal abortion rights, this year only one woman has been presented as a presidential candidate.

Leftist leader Manuela Castaneira of the New Movement to Socialism is the only female candidate. She needs at least 1.5 percent of votes during the August 11 primary to be able to represent her party in general elections Oct 27.

In addition to the president and vice president, more than half of the Chamber of Deputies and one-third of the Senate will be vote on in four months.

The March parity law is not the only Argentinian law giving equal rights to women in politics. In 1991, the country was a pioneer in Latin America, passing legislation that requires parties to make women 30 percent of their candidate lists.