Sexual and Reproductive Rights
摘要
Sexual Rights recognise that everyone should freely choose and enjoy their sexual lives without violence, risk, or discrimination, and access information to decide and self-care about their sexual health. Reproductive Rights recognise that everyone should make autonomous and non-discriminatory decisions about having children, including whether or not to have children, with whom, how many, and when. Sexual and Reproductive Rights are an integral part of International Human Rights Law. The end of the dictatorship in Argentina marked the beginning of the struggle for sexual and reproductive rights in this country. The feminist assertion of these rights as an outstanding debt of democracy played an important role in their gradual recognition. In 2002, the National Law of Sexual Health and Responsible Procreation (Law No. 25.673) was passed, guaranteeing free access to contraceptive methods. Following this, in 2006, the enactment of the National Law for Comprehensive Sexual Education (Law 26,150) established the National Comprehensive Sexual Education Program, which ensured sexual education at all educational levels in both private and public schools. In 2005, the campaign for the right to abortion began the long journey that culminated in the legalization of abortion in 2020. This legislative triumph was made possible thanks to what the campaign called the “social decriminalisation” of abortion and the importance attributed to human rights discourses. This chapter examines the Argentine approach to contraception, sexual education, and abortion as a progressive landmark in the field of sexual and reproductive rights. It also delves into the threats posed by the administration of incumbent Argentine president, Javier Milei, against the achievements in this field. The chapter thus concludes with the inherent political fragility of sexual and reproductive rights, which effectively requires strong and continuous social support beyond the commitment of political elites.