The Conversation: Argentina’s abortion legalization debate ignites soul searching on women’s rights
Virginia García Beaudoux, professor at the University of Buenos Aires

“…[In Argentina, the] abortion debate has given rise to legislative discussions about long-ignored problems like the gender pay gap and parental leave. And late last year, Congress surprised Argentineans by passing a law requiring that 50 percent of all candidates nominated by political parties to run for office be women. Is Argentina on the verge of a huge leap forward in gender equality? … Social problems like maternal mortality, the gender pay gap, and sexism in the workplace have long been ignored during electoral cycles. Now, [during the 2019 campaign,] political parties will be compelled to declare their stance on these issues. Candidates will have to propose policy solutions and explain their ideas to citizens. This will make for some heated and passionate confrontations, but that’s a good problem. Because when a subject enters the political debate, it sends a powerful message to society that it’s worth discussing — and needs resolving” (4/24).