SANTA FE, Argentina. Four years ago, the Trans and Non-Binary Assembly of Santa Fe , Miser , and various groups working for the rights of dissidents began to develop, together with unions and student organizations, a project for the implementation of a job quota at the National University of the Littoral (UNL) .

On Thursday, May 26, the Higher Council approved the initiative, but made modifications to the original proposal. Thus, UNL became the second university to include non-binary people in its quota and to not require a legal gender change to access the applicant registry.

“With this university resolution, the trans, travesti, and non-binary movement has the opportunity to be seen in a different light, with more dignity. They will not only have the chance to complete a degree but also the dignity of having a stable and formal job within academia,” explained Alejandra Ironici, a representative of Miser Santa Fe, in an interview with Presentes . “On a social and cultural level, it positions us differently. Society will see that we want to strive for greater acceptance and inclusion, and the fact that the UNL is supporting us through a resolution that is the product of our project and national law is an important step,” she said.

Resolution No. 173 of the Higher Council establishes that the 1% quota for trans, transvestite, and non-binary people in the university's workforce will be progressively achieved. Furthermore, it provides a temporary provision, until that percentage is met, that the annual hiring of trans, transvestite, and non-binary individuals cannot be less than 5% of the total new hires for that year.

“The sanction was quite chaotic because we had been working on this for some time. We were so surprised that it was being passed that we thought something was being approved for us without us. Luckily, we have colleagues who were able to address the situation. But we haven't even been able to react because we didn't know if this was going to include us,” explained Gora, a member of the Trans and Non-Binary Assembly of Santa Fe.

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The voice of the unions

For the UNL's faculty and non-faculty unions ( Adul and Apul , respectively), the actions of the Higher Council reflect the way decisions are typically made at the university. “Unlike what happens in the City Councils and the Legislature, in these spaces there is no room for lobbying. Autonomy allows universities to decide,” Oscar Vallejos, general secretary of Adul and deputy secretary of Conadu Histórica, Presentes

For his part, Enrique Mammarella, the rector of the UNL, celebrated that the Governing Council—comprised of representatives from teaching and non-teaching staff, students, and graduates—"Recognizing that access to public employment for transvestite, transsexual, transgender, and non-binary people is currently hindered by a systematic pattern of inequality, (the council) has just approved a resolution that implements affirmative action to enable their inclusion as non-teaching staff and/or as contracted personnel," he stated.

“The approved regulation allows for some flexibility in the suitability and employability criteria and requirements for job positions, but without distorting the nature of the functions of the positions to be filled. This is in order to reconcile the objectives of the institutional policy of 'positive discrimination' with the obligation to guarantee the fulfillment of the University's aims,” the rector added.

To recall, the first Latin American Trans Vulnerability Survey , conducted by the provincial government in Santa Fe in 2019, revealed that only 5 percent of trans people reach university; which highlights the need in all quota regulations for support in the work trajectory and with training tools when regulating and implementing them.

Follow the regulations

One of the essential requirements for many of the university's positions is having completed high school. In this case, it's envisioned that, between being hired on a contract basis and becoming a permanent employee, the person will have the opportunity to complete their secondary education. "The university will provide support to help them finish high school through the resources they have available. That's a great advantage of this project because not all transgender people have had the opportunity to complete high school," Ironici explained.

And Vallejos added: “We have some anxiety about how certain issues will be applied, such as the suitability and work experience requirements. The quota system arises precisely because people from collectives can't have experience since they've never been given the opportunity. There are some points we want to see how they'll be implemented because they could be a significant restriction.”

“It’s a debate we’ve had for almost four years. Together with unions and organizations, we specifically discussed suitability because none of our colleagues have work experience; we all come from the streets, from sex work. We’ll download the bill and carefully analyze how it will be implemented,” emphasized Fabiana González, a trans activist from the Evita Movement.

Another point the organizations are paying close attention to is the date when the applicant registration will open. They were told it will be at the beginning of 2023. “So we don’t know if they’ll open it this year. And what they told us is that the creation of that registry will be the responsibility of University Welfare and the Extension Secretariat,” added the representative from Miser Santa Fe, noting that they hope to have the regulations as soon as possible.

In this regard, Article 3 of the resolution states that registration will be “voluntary, requiring only the individual’s self-perception to recognize their internal gender experience as each person feels it, this being the sole requirement for registration.” The following article indicates that a registry will be created for applicants for Non-Teaching Staff positions and another for Contracted Staff.

“We aim to maintain a collective spirit throughout the commissioning, regulation, and implementation of all of this,” said José Ferro, a member of Apul.

He added that they have been working within the union for two years on the issue of the quota, but also on instances of reflection and training so that, when the quota is implemented, "there will be conditions of reception, support, follow-up and mutual learning."

The first 11

There are 70 public national universities distributed throughout the country. Including the UNL, only 12 of these have approved resolutions establishing quotas for trans and gender-diverse students. Some have also included non-binary students in their regulations.

In 2017, the National University of Mar del Plata became the first in Latin America to implement the transvestite-trans employment quota.

The initiative was conceived within the Lohana Berkins free chair, of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Social Work, which is promoted by the Association for an Equal World (AMI) .

A year later, the Higher Council of the National University of Tierra del Fuego (UNTDF) approved, by a large majority, the "Transgender Employment Quota" project. In doing so, it committed to including transgender people in its university staff, both teaching and non-teaching.

In November 2018, the National University of Comahue (UNCo) was the third in the country to approve a similar resolution for its teaching and non-teaching staff.

In July 2019, the National University of La Pampa also unanimously approved Resolution 53/19 and the Transgender Quota Regulations. These initiatives enable the hiring of transgender, transsexual, and gender-diverse individuals as non-teaching staff. In 2021, the university administration opened applications for two public calls for proposals under the transgender employment quota regulations, one for a non-teaching position in General Pico and another in Santa Rosa.

In October 2020, the National University of Luján (UNLu) approved the 1 percent quota and on July 1, 2021, the first trans worker of the Institution, as a non-teaching staff member, was hired.

In 2020, the National University of Rosario (UNR) made a decision on the matter, and since then, 13 people have been admitted. “The intention is to increase that number year after year,” said Florencia Rovetto, Secretary of the Gender and Sexualities Area at UNR, in an interview with Presentes . She emphasized that “there is a quota policy” and explained: “Each year, the quota is reopened and new registrations are created in a file we call RUA, the Single Registry of Applicants.”

In November 2020, the Higher Council of the National University of Villa María (UNVM), in Córdoba, unanimously approved the proposal to adhere to the presidential decree that promotes greater inclusion of this group. They committed to incorporating transgender, transsexual, and non-binary people into both the teaching staff and the non-teaching staff, in a proportion of no less than one percent (1%) in each.

In the case of the National University of General Sarmiento (UNGS), in the session of March 17, 2021, the Superior Council of UNGS unanimously approved the “Guidelines for the inclusion of transvestites, transsexuals and transgender people”, by Resolution CS No. 7878.

These guidelines propose the design and implementation of concrete initiatives aimed at promoting and guaranteeing the educational and labor inclusion of the transvestite-trans population at the University.

In September 2021, the Higher Council of the National University of the Arts approved the implementation of the "Effy Beth" Employment Quota for Transvestite, Transsexual, and Transgender People within the university. Effy was a conceptual artist, queer feminist activist, performer, and student at what was then the National University of the Arts (IUNA). Through her activism, alongside figures such as Lohana Berkins, Marlene Wayar, Diana Sacayán, and Susy Shock, and her artistic production, she challenged established identity categories and brought to light the processes of marginalization, workplace discrimination, and hypersexualization of the trans community.

Last year, the University of Cuyo (UNCuyo) followed a similar path. Two months ago, its authorities presented the Report on the First Call for Applications and Registration for the Voluntary Registry of Transvestite, Transgender, and Non-Binary Persons aspiring to work at the University.

Among other data, the study identified 38 registered individuals, their gender, age range, and level of education attained. To ensure true equality of opportunity, the requirement of educational attainment cannot be an obstacle to employment and retention ; therefore, the possibility of completing missing studies is offered through coordination with services provided by UNCUYO or other institutions.

In turn, the implementing authorities must guarantee spaces for job training and labor development, as well as support mechanisms for remaining in employment.

Back in 2022, on May 1st, the National University of Avellaneda announced the implementation of a one percent transvestite trans job quota for non-teaching staff positions.

The fight

In recent years, both the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and the National University of La Plata have become the scene of numerous complaints in this regard, both in the public and administrative spheres.

Last November, the Gender and Sexual Diversity Secretariat of AGD-UBA and the Free Chair of Trans Studies succeeded in getting a resolution approved by the Board of Directors of Philosophy and Letters to implement the trans teaching and non-teaching job quota at the University of Buenos Aires.

Although various academic units have made progress on this opening of opportunities, there is still no definition from the Rectorates.

In the Northwest, at the National University of Jujuy, the issue isn't even part of the debate yet. The situation is different at the University of Tucumán, where it is a top priority.