ARGENTINA-FEMICIDE/DEMO Scores of protesters fill plaza to denounce femicide in Argentina

Record ID: 150066

  • Title: ARGENTINA-FEMICIDE/DEMO Scores of protesters fill plaza to denounce femicide in Argentina
  • Date: 4th June 2015
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (JUNE 3, 2015) (REUTERS) CLOSE-UP OF FEET OF PEOPLE IN DEMONSTRATION BACKSIDE OF MAN LOOKING AT DEMONSTRATORS WALKING ALONG RALLY VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ALONG AVENUE FOR DEMONSTRATION IN PLAZA IN FRONT OF NATIONAL CONGRESS BUILDING VARIOUS AERIAL VIEWS OF PLAZA WITH DEMONSTRATORS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WITH SIGNS WITH NAME OF FEMICIDE CAMPAIGN THA
  • Embargoed: 19th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA177S8AVAE194LGTOU6WZ3MBZA
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Scores of Argentines gathered in front of the National Congress building in Buenos Aires on Wednesday (June 3) to call for an end to gender-based violence in the country.
    According to local women's rights group, Casa del Encuentro, Argentina reported 277 femicides - the killing of a woman by a man because of her gender - last year alone.
    Across Argentina, there have been 1,808 femicides since 2008. While in 2012 a law was passed giving femicide the maximum sentence in the country - 25 years - offenders are often given much lighter sentences, if any at all, and the problem shows little sign of abating.
    Indeed, there have been more than 250 femicides every year since 2010, with a peak of 295 in 2013. There are no official statistics about gender-based violence in Argentina and statistics are based on daily media reports.
    One recent high profile case was that of a kindergarten teacher whose throat was slit by an estranged partner in front of her classroom.
    Multitudes organised under the campaign #NiUnaMenos, meaning not one more woman victim, filled the square in front of the Argentine Congress, waving banners and chanting slogans. State news agency Telam reported that approximately 200,000 people came out for the demonstration.
    Argentines including President Cristina Fernandez and soccer star Lionel Messi have voiced support for the movement.
    Similar protests were held throughout Argentina, Chile and neighbouring Uruguay on Wednesday (June 3).
    "I'm here because my ex-partner hit me and recently my daughter, who is pregnant, as well…and he beat her up, let's tell things as they are, that's why I'm here," said one demonstrator in Buenos Aires, Graciela Sanabria.
    Attendees at the rally held signs bearing photographs of femicide victims.
    Argentine men also came out in support.
    "I brought my sign which says 'sorry' in the name of all men in this macho society. We grew up thinking it was ok to catcall women on the street, which was part of our heritage or that it was fun and we weren't aware maybe of the violence that we caused against them [women], the harassment, which in reality was harassment [in reference to catcalls]," said rally attendee, Marcos Gomez.
    Cristina Hermoa, who works for an NGO that lobbies for cases of violence against women that have gone unpunished, said that Argentine law needs to become tougher.
    "The judges, the sentences, that's what's the most important. Because today they (the aggressors) kill and tomorrow they are free and the next day they go on killing. They keep killing because nothing happens," she said.
    In addition to the demand for official femicide statistics, demonstrators also called for the implementation of Law 26,485, a law passed six years ago which aims to protect abuse victims and prevent violence against women but which has yet to be fully implemented.
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