Nearly two million people across Argentina on February 1 under the banner of the National Anti-Fascist and Anti-Racist Pride March, while activists held outside Argentine embassies in at least 20 cities across Europe and Latin America.
The decision to hold the anti-racist, anti-fascist pride march in Argentina was determined by popular vote during an spearheaded by LGBTIQ rights groups in the capital, Buenos Aires, on January 25, which was attended by about 8000 people.
The marches represented a broad coalition of women鈥檚 rights groups, unions, students, social movements and human rights organisations in response to far-right President Javier Milei鈥檚 at the World Economic Forum on January 23.
In his speech, Milei said that 鈥済ender ideology鈥 鈥 a pejorative anti-trans term often used by conservatives for anything that seeks to protect or advance LGBTIQ and women鈥檚 rights 鈥 constitutes 鈥渃hild abuse鈥 and called gay people 鈥減aedophiles鈥. Ironically, Milei鈥檚 government has been that provides tools and the legal means to prevent and detect child sexual abuse, support victims of child abuse and advocate for the legal punishment of paedophiles.
Milei attacked the 鈥渂loodthirsty and murderous abortion agenda鈥, presumably referring to the struggle for safe, accessible abortion.
He also claimed that the gender wage gap does not exist, despite the difference in salaries between men and women in Argentina being .
Milei expressed particular contempt for so-called 鈥渨oke ideology鈥 鈥 an umbrella term used by conservatives for any form of progressive politics 鈥 which he said is a 鈥渃ancer that must be removed鈥.
Milei鈥檚 鈥渁nti-woke鈥 agenda signifies a devastating attack against women and the LGBTIQ community, with his government dismantling most programs and services aimed at helping victims of gender-based violence.
Shortly after Milei鈥檚 speech, the Argentine government announced it would the crime of femicide from the country鈥檚 penal code. Worryingly, femicides are rising, with at least 243 cases in 2023 and .
Since Milei came to power in December 2023, the Argentine government has: the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity; stopped purchases of essential supplies for abortions; banned gender-inclusive language in all official documents; a government department responsible for tackling gender-based violence; and advanced a bill to .
At the United Nations general assembly in November, Argentina was the only country to vote against a promoting an end to violence against women and girls, with Milei accusing the UN of trying to 鈥渋mpose an ideological agenda鈥.