Feminism Surges Across Latin America, From Chile to Mexico

Women all over Latin America are taking a stand against femicide and abortion laws as feminism sweeps across Latin America.

Women are protesting across Latin America in a call to force gender politics into the arena following increasing cases of femicide and highly restrictive abortion laws.

Thousands of Argentines organized a demonstration in Buenos Aires last week for the decriminalization of abortion. The same demonstrations have also seen action from other countries like Chile, Peru, and Mexico.

Mabel Gabarra, a lawyer and founder of a campaign to provide free, safe, and legalized terminations in Argentina said the movement will be "historic."

Many of the goals of Latin American advocates are yet to be realized despite the enormous attention the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct has received in the West. 

A bill to decriminalize abortion passed the lower house in Argentina in 2018 but was later rejected by the senate which has 30 female members out of its 72 members. 

A renewed sense of hope had settled since President Alberto Fernandez assumed power in December. 

Fernandez had been very vocal about his support to change Argentina's laws on abortion which currently only allows the procedure in cases of rape and risk to the mother's life. Latin Americans expect the decade-long fight will top in favor of abortion rights.

Chile adopted a law legalizing abortion in the cases of rape or risk to either the mother's or baby's life two years ago.

In Uruguay, Cuba, and Mexico the procedure is legal. However, it is banned in much of Central America. Women also face time in prison for a miscarriage in El Salvador.

Colombia's supreme court is due to rule whether or not to legalize abortion on Wednesday. 

Feminism has also taken over other Latin American countries such as Mexico where there were over 1,000 cases of femicide in 2019, and two recent brutal murders--- one case involving a seven-year-old girl.

Mexican feminists have demanded President Andres Manuel Lopez for better policies to fight the wave of violence.

Peru has also seen an increase in femicide cases in 2019 where it was said to be the highest number recorded in a decade. 

Chilean feminist collective LasTesis attended performed a song called "The Rapist is You" in Santiago November last year. The song portrays violence against women as a systemic problem with a political context.

The anthem had quickly spread across many countries for tackling the government, the court, and the law enforcement's lack of action on violence against women.

It also highlighted inequality in a country marred with months of protests that were met with police violence, and in some cases, sexual violence. 

"We still don't have a law for violence against women," director of Miles feminist charity Claudia Dides said. "We still don't have a parliament that realizes the importance of eradicating this type of violence."

The song is considered as symbolic of a wider feminist pushback that is taking over Latin America. 

Argentine historian Lissell Quiroz-Perez from the University of Rouen in France said demonstrations about feminism should maintain the pressure by imposing their will.

"Feminist movements in Latin America are very dynamic. They inform and mobilize much better than in other countries," said Quiroz-Perez. 

In practice, she said, laws promoting equality and tackling violence against women are blocked by "male chauvinism ingrained in public institutions."