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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina. Women and diverse groups participated in the open assembly of employees of the former Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity of the Nation to condemn the announcement of the closure of the Undersecretariat for the Prevention of Gender Violence .

They also rejected the layoffs in the department and the dismantling of gender policies during a day of protest near the National Congress.

"Thank you, employees of the former Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity, for everything you did to change our reality," said transvestite activist Alma Fernández during the meeting.

Without gender policies

In a 24-page report , workers from the former Gender Ministry and the internal board of ATE in the ministry stated: “In the week of a new anniversary of Ni Una Menos, the government of Javier Milei decided to dissolve the Undersecretariat for Protection against Gender Violence, the space within the state organization to which the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity had been reduced.”

“What we're experiencing isn't a policy cutback. It's the devastation not only of the policies that have been implemented over the last ten years but since the return of democracy. What's being done is undermining every national organization. We're going back more than 40 years of gender policies,” Lau, a 33-year-old trans man working for the Undersecretariat for the Prevention of Gender Violence and a delegate for ATE, Presentes

This is the last bastion of the Executive Branch's ability to combat gender-based violence, in a country with 114 femicides, three lesbian murders , and one transvesticide so far this year. The Argentine State has committed to establishing a specific area, in accordance with Law 26.485 on comprehensive protection against violence against women , passed by Congress in 2009.

In December 2023, the ministry had a workforce of 1,282. It has now fallen to 630, a 50% reduction in less than six months. A further 80% reduction of that number was recently announced .

Among the data compiled by the workers are the results of Line 144. From 2019 to 2023, more than 1,200,000 communications were received and more than 93,000 interventions were carried out, providing advice and assistance in situations of violence.

Dismantling and deprotection

On Tuesday morning, the 11th, women and diverse groups from various sectors participated in a meeting in the Chamber of Deputies Annex, organized by the Women and Diversity Commission, chaired by Representative Mónica Macha. At the meeting, workers from the former Ministry of Women, Gender, and Diversity denounced the lack of gender policies currently being implemented. 

“I work with the Acompañar Program . It's a program that assists people who are or have been in situations of gender-based violence. It provides a financial contribution, which is very important for escaping situations of violence,” Lau shared. She clarified: “Right now, the program is practically non-existent.”

"As my program stands, all policies are on hold: the Travesti trans program, which supports trans people who are precisely in situations of social vulnerability. The Producir program, which supports entrepreneurships for women experiencing violence. Well, all of the Ministry's policies are currently on hold," she explained.

A necessary public policy

In the report, the workers detailed the policies implemented by the Ministry during their four years in office. The Acompañar Program, which promotes the economic autonomy of women and LGBT+ people at risk due to gender-based violence, reached 352,300 people. Additionally, the Acercar Derechos (Closer Rights) Program for people in situations of gender-based violence supported 33,908 women and LGBT+ people across the country.

"The ministry was the culmination of a public policy that began with democracy in 1987, under Raúl Alfonsín, and continues today. Gender institutions have always existed, understanding that gender-based violence and inequality are a public problem," former Minister of Women, Gender, and Diversity Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta told this agency.

And he added, "This ministry made it possible to have a budget that would allow us to seriously address a problem that, without a doubt, in 2015, with the Ni Una Menos initiative, put femicides on the political scene as a state problem."

For diversity

With the implementation of the Law on the Promotion of Access to Formal Employment for Transgender and Transgender People , 955 transgender and transgender people were incorporated into the public sector through the Ministry's monitoring.

Regarding the LGBTIQ+ community, another example is the Access to Rights Strengthening Program, aimed at transvestite, transsexual, and transgender people.

"This population has a life expectancy of less than 35 years, making them one of the most vulnerable groups, and those over 35 are survivors of transvesticide and social transvesticide. The Program is aimed at transvestites and trans people over 18 years of age who live in the country and are experiencing a situation of rights violations due to their gender identity and/or expression. Through this policy, comprehensive assistance is provided through an interdisciplinary team and financial support to address basic needs," explained the former ministry.

In 2022, a support line for trans aging was created, providing financial assistance to people over 50 equivalent to six minimum living wages on a one-time basis. 

"Our resistance is just beginning"

Jem Rodríguez is a 57-year-old transvestite activist and leader of the Otrans Argentina who received one of these reparations last year. “It was due to the systematic violation of my rights and my personal rights. I was arbitrarily detained many times. It helped me a lot,” she told Presentes .

Because of her age, Jem is a survivor of the transvestite trans community. She doesn't know if "one day" she'll be able to see "the community truly enjoy full rights." Regarding the current situation, she lamented: "Seeing the reversal of what we have achieved with so much sacrifice is like being killed with a single shot."

“This is not a gift; this is an acquired right, a historic reparation that society and the State owe us. They owe us to diverse groups, to transvestites above all, who are the most vulnerable group. They owe us their lives because the lives of my companions have been lost,” she added.

Regarding policies focused on sexual diversity, gender-specific support and training were also provided for the implementation of the non-binary DNI. In addition, coordination of Inclusive Health Policies was carried out.

“All of this worries us greatly. But at the same time, we are convinced that this is just beginning, that our resistance is starting now, and that we won't be defeated so easily. We have a great history of struggle, a great history of resilience, and that's what we're putting into play now as well,” Lau concluded.