Illustration: Flyer for the Encuentro by Julia Inés Mamome.  “The Encuentro is all of us” –Naponaxtac enauac qomi in the Qom language – is the motto for this year's 32nd National Women's Encuentro in Resistencia, Chaco, from 16th. The Encuentro, a unique ritual in the world that has been repeated uninterrupted since 1986, is growing in size each year. This year, the organizing committee expects the presence of 70,000 women, lesbians, trans people, transvestites, and bisexuals.   to Presenteshas selected activities and workshops that expressly prioritize themes of sexual diversity for lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, and transvestites.

TORTILLA SATURDAY

The opening ceremony of the Encounter will be held at the Sarmiento Stadium at 10:00 AM. Registrations and accreditations will be accepted that day, between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM at the Rural Society. In the afternoon there will be workshops (see below). At 2 PM: Discussion on violence among lesbiansThe Actibanda is calling for a meeting in Plaza Belgrano (Av. Paraguay and Vicente López y Planes). At 6:30 p.m., the Proudly Torta March. At 8pm: Music Festival.  After midnight, the "Lesbian Horde" party brings together DJ Turra, DJ Lima and DJ Paria Mía at Daeli (Av. Belgrano 174).

Flyer: Julia Inés Mamone 

MARCH: JUSTICE FOR DIANA SACAYAN AND FOR ALL WOMEN

On Saturday, at the end of the workshop “Transgender people, transsexuals, transvestites.” Transvestites and trans people will march through the streets of Resistencia, organized by themselves. They will carry the slogan "Stop the murders of trans people, justice for Diana Sacayán and for all."

THE WORKSHOPS

The workshops are the heart of each gathering. This year there are 71 offerings. The topics come from Rosario, and two more have been added: “Women and Rape Culture” and “Fat Activism.” They will be held on Saturday afternoon and Sunday from 9 to 12 and from 3 to 5 pm. We've selected workshops focusing on topics and/or issues related to sexual diversity. But there will also be self-organized and spontaneous workshops, so that no one is left out.  

Workshop No. 3: Women's Movements and Activism

Faculty of Humanities, UNNE Campus, Resistencia History of women's movements in Argentina, key milestones, current activism: feminist, social, partisan, ethnic, lesbian, trans, queer, trade union, abortion legalization, support networks, comprehensive sex education, against all forms of violence, media, professional, Indigenous peoples, environment, ecology, rural workers, peasants, cooperatives, popular economies, neighborhood organizations, human rights, adolescence and youth, university students, scientists, education, migrants, cultural, sports, body diversity. Articulations, convergences, and possibilities for joint agendas.

Workshop No. 4: Women and Couple Relationships

EEP No. 42, Amanda de Grandi Solís. Santa Fe 375 Different types of relationships. Love in all its forms. Free love. Diverse sexual and emotional relationships. Polyamory. Lesbian relationships. Equality. Subordination. Independence. Companionship. Ethics, agreements, and care. Dependence. Infidelity. Jealousy. Crises. Friendships. Depersonalization in relationships. Social mandates regarding roles in relationships. Romantic love. Differences between heterosexual and lesbian relationships.

Workshop No. 5: Women and Sexualities

EES No. 76, José María Paz National School. 9 de Julio 640. Sexism, myths, and beliefs. Sexual stereotypes. Taboos. Sexuality. The right to pleasure. Sexual freedom. Sexuality and love. Sexuality and genitalia. Biological inheritance or social construction. Sexual diversity, different sexual behaviors and practices. The influence and role of patriarchal institutions in the construction of sexuality.

Workshop No. 6: Women and Lesbianism

EES No. 76, José María Paz National School. 9 de Julio 640. Myths and prejudices. Visibility. Defending one's chosen lifestyle. Discrimination, oppression, and repression. Relationship with family of origin. Lesbian families. Motherhood. Adoption. Assisted reproduction. Sexual health. Lesbian movements. Activism and forms of organization and struggle. Violence in lesbian sexual and affective relationships.

Workshop No. 7: Women and Lesbian Activism

EES No. 76, José María Paz National School. 9 de Julio 640. Current state of lesbian activism in Argentina: main advances and obstacles. Lesbophobia. Lesbianism: sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the construction of lesbian activism. Strategies for recovering and transmitting the history of lesbian activism in Argentina. Relationship of lesbian activism with other social movements, women's movements, trans and queer movements, and feminism. Importance. Agenda.

Workshop No. 8: Women and bisexuality

EES No. 76, José María Paz National School. 9 de Julio 640. Complexities and contradictions of the concept of bisexuality. Experiences and lived experiences. Gender oppression and bisexuality. Biphobia. Stereotypes and prejudices. Collective identities as political strategies. Social invisibility and invisibility within the LGBTTQI community. Activism and visibility strategies. Heteronormativity: compulsory monogamy and compulsory motherhood. Critique of binary categories.

Workshop No. 9: Transgender, transsexual, and transvestite people

EES No. 76, José María Paz National School. 9 de Julio 640. Bodies, identities, and sexuality. Gender identity law: situation in each province. Health: accessibility, guarantees, and services. Situation and possible responses to STIs and HIV/AIDS. Access to hormone therapy and its effects. Operation of trans-friendly clinics. Transphobia: problems in employment, education, and health. Employment quotas. Laws and treaties. Codes of conduct. Forms of organization and struggle, and class conditions. Situation in each province. Agenda.

Workshop No. 12: Women and Motherhood

EET Nro 24 Simón de Iriondo. Av Vélez Sársfield 20. Childbirth, breastfeeding, and postpartum. Law 25.929 on humanized childbirth. Work: employment, pre- and postpartum care, leave, discrimination in obtaining and retaining employment. Childcare. Maternal instinct? Choice, taboos, mandates, desires, plans, stereotypes, imposition, and/or planning. Sexuality. Early motherhood. Forced child motherhood. Motherhood at different ages. Single mothers. Shared motherhood in heterosexual couples. Motherhood in same-sex couples. Single motherhood. Mother-parent daycare centers. Social motherhood. The role of the State in raising children. The search for a new role for women. Biological, subjective, and/or material inability to conceive. Fertility treatments. Law 26.862 on medically assisted fertilization. Adoption. Surrogacy.

Workshop No. 13: Women and sexual and reproductive rights

EET Nro 24 Simón de Iriondo. Av Vélez Sársfield 20. Right to decide about one's own body. Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Law 26.150, with a gender perspective, non-sexist and non-heterosexist. National Program for Sexual Health and Responsible Procreation, Law 25.673. Safe and harmless contraception. Free and equal access to health services. Right to motherhood and humanized childbirth, Law 25.929. Right to voluntary termination of pregnancy. Programs, strategies, and budget for the effective implementation of current laws.

Workshop No. 25: Women, violence and abuse

San Fernando Rey Higher Level Institute. Castelli Avenue 1150. Origins of violence against women. Discrimination, inequality. Patriarchy. Reproduction of violence. Belém do Pará Convention, international agreements, National Law 26.485 on the prevention, punishment, and eradication of violence against women. Types of violence: physical, psychological, sexual, patrimonial, economic, symbolic. Modalities: domestic, institutional, workplace, against reproductive freedom, obstetric, and media-related. New National Action Plan. Observatory of Violence against Women. Provincial laws. Budgets. Access to justice. Role of the media. Struggles, experiences, and achievements of the women's movement, NGOs, and community, social, and political organizations. Society speaks out: Not One Less.

Flyer: Carla Mendieta Carlade 

Workshop No. 26: Violence, abuse and sexual harassment

Faculty of Architecture, UNNE Campus. Forms of violence, abuse, and sexual harassment. Consequences of chronic violence. Street harassment. State responsibility in prevention and counseling policies. Protocol for the comprehensive care of victims of sexual assault. Guidelines for healthcare teams. Protocol for the care of individuals entitled to a legal abortion. Protocols for the judicial handling of violence complaints. Access to justice. Free legal aid. National and provincial prosecutor's offices for crimes against sexual integrity. Statute of limitations for crimes against sexual integrity: Law 26.705.

Workshop No. 32: Women in situations of prostitution

Prostitution or sex work? Economic, social, and cultural causes leading to prostitution. Exploitation. Slavery. Media, the internet, recruitment of girls, adolescents, and young people. Networks. Sex tourism. Impunity for those who buy sex and clients. Complicity of the police, the judiciary, and politicians. Police and judicial violence. Discrimination. Legal aspects. Offenses. Forms and modes of organization. Abolitionism, regulation, and prohibitionism. Healthcare and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. Families and motherhood.

Workshop No. 38: Women sex workers

EES No. 76. José María Paz National School. 9 de Julio Avenue 640. Sex work or prostitution? Criminalization, discrimination, victimization, and stigmatization. Human rights. How to confront and overcome institutional violence. Current state of laws penalizing prostitution in public spaces, raids, and abuses. Impact of anti-trafficking policies. Prevention of workplace violence. How to avoid pimping and exploitation: autonomy, organization, and cooperatives. Precarious employment. Retirement. Social security. Access to medical, healthcare, and legal information and advice. Body care, comprehensive physical and mental health, and sexual health: contraception, prevention of sexually transmitted infections and addictions. Partners, motherhood, and family. Access to housing. Older women. Bills seeking to regulate independent sex work. Collaboration with feminist and social movements. International experiences. Political agenda.

Workshop No. 63: Women, Culture and Art

EEP 168 General Enrique Mosconi. López Piacentini 1001.   Culture and art from a woman's perspective. The representation of women in culture and art. Women workers in the cultural and artistic field. Cultural androcentrism. Cultural models. Cultural hegemony. Popular culture. The media in art and culture. Women artists and their partners, families, and children. Alternative spaces for disseminating women's work. Presence in spaces that legitimize culture and art: universities, museums, galleries, and institutions. Strategies for inclusion and visibility of artistic and cultural productions. Women artists in professional training settings: their relationship with knowledge. Women artists and spaces for professional development and livelihood: their relationship with resources for a dignified life. Being a musician among musicians. Differences and similarities in this situation in other disciplines. Women artists and their social environment: dehumanizing imagery. Full list of organized workshops: http://encuentrodemujeres.com.ar/talleres/listado-de-los-71-talleres/ The complete schedule: where the workshops are held http://encuentrodemujeres.com.ar/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Grilla-Talleres-32-ENM-Chaco.pdf

SUNDAY'S MARCH

A massive women's march is expected on Sunday in the streets of Resistencia. It will depart at 6 PM from the corner of Las Heras and Castelli streets (UNNE). The day ends, as always, with a gathering at 9:30 pm in the Democracy Park. The plenary session and closing of the 32nd National Meeting of Women Chaco 2017 will take place on Monday, October 16th at 10:00 AM at the Sarmiento Stadium.

Flyer: Valentina Mariani 

MOBILE APPLICATION

The official app for the 32nd National Women's Meeting (ENM) promises all the necessary information about the world's largest women's gathering. "The Municipality of Resistencia is making available, through this app, everything you need to know about the ENM and the city: the march route, workshop locations, cultural activities, bus departures, accommodation, and much more information that will be useful to you in our city." https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.iterart.enm_chaco2017 If you know of any LGBT-related activities at the National Women's Meeting that aren't included in this article, please leave them in a comment and we'll add them, or write to us at agenciapresentes@gmail.com]]>