It all started in a hole. In a police station that used to be the only possible destination for those who dared to break the rules and make the public space, the street, their place of work. The consequences of the criminalisation of sex work tend to be clandestinity, greater police persecution, greater exposure to violence, but also the possibility of organising and fighting for what we thought was impossible for us: that sex workers can have rights. In Argentina, the trade union organisation of sex workers has been fighting for 29 years, two decades less than the rebellion organised by the sex workers in Saint-Nizier, France, when on 2 June 1975 they took over a church and went on strike for 10 days, denouncing the police repression they were suffering and the need to be heard by the state and its rulers. Years of silencing have been made possible by the stigma, discrimination, persecution and shame imposed on sex workers. The fact that others will speak for us and that states do not call us to the tables where decisions have been made regarding our work are partly what have driven us to raise our voices, organise ourselves and get involved in the trade union and feminist struggle to try to transform our reality. In Argentina, sex work is not classified as a crime, but all spaces, forms of organisation and dissemination of our work are criminalised by codes of contravention, municipal ordinances, provincial decrees, presidential decrees and reforms of the law on trafficking. Cornered by criminal law we constantly deal with institutional violence and although we denounce, make annual reports, make our reality visible, raise our voices in every feminist assembly, have won a place in the Central de Trabajadoresxs de la Argentina and have organisation in 12 of the 24 provinces of our country, we still do not have any public policy. In 2016, Amnesty International published its report and its political position regarding the sexual market, and one of the five countries chosen to carry out its research work was ours. We saw it as an opportunity for those women who had suffered robberies, the closure of their workplaces, legal proceedings, had been detained, stripped of their belongings and exposed to further violations of their rights, to feel heard. Several human rights organisations have expressed their concern about the violation of sex workers' rights, and have called on states and governments to pay attention and make recommendations so that the reality of more than a handful of people can be guaranteed, with respect and public policies that address demands such as access to health, housing, the right to a pension and the right to no longer be detained.  

The recent inauguration of the ultra-right-wing Argentinian President Javier Milei is a stark reminder of the fragility of our rights to our own bodies.  Within a week of taking office, the self-described libertarian, who is openly anti-abortion and sexist, slashed the number of government ministries in half and delivered on his promise to eliminate the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity in the name of austerity. Although Milei's definitive plan for the newly formed and arbitrarily named ‘Ministry of Human Capital’ is not yet known, his famous phrase "there is no money" is a clear signal that sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice will not be on the agenda. Milei has said so himself: he has vowed to hold a plebiscite on whether to repeal the country’s 2020 landmark legislation of abortion, has attacked the 2006 law which recognizes’ students’ right to comprehensive sexuality education, routinely portrays LGBTIQ+ people as a menace to Argentinian society and denies the existence of the gender gap.  But the need for a robust and well-funded public health service in Argentina, one that provides integrated sexual and reproductive healthcare services, is of vital public interest. 

The Argentinian Senate voted narrowly against a bill that would have legalized abortion up to 14 weeks. The vote tally was 31 in favour, 38 against, 2 abstentions, and 1 absence.     Giselle Carino, IPPF Western Hemisphere Region’s Director (IPPF/WHR) and CEO, issued the following statement:   "Today, the Argentinian Senate failed women by voting to maintain a status quo that leads to anguish, forced pregnancy, and preventable death. This compassionless vote denies women’s lived experiences, evidence-based public health policies and international agreements. While the senate has demonstrated that they are out of touch, women will not retreat. Tens of thousands of women organized, mobilized, and took to the streets to support this bill, and their courage have inspired activists across Latin America to share their stories and take on the stigma that too often keeps abortion care out of public discourse. We stand firmly and in solidarity with all women until forced pregnancies become a thing of the past—until all women are treated as equals.”       While current law in Argentina technically permits a woman access to abortion services when her life is in danger, or when the pregnancy is the result of rape, the true issue is one of accessibility: Women with fewer economic and social resources have less access to care than upper-class women in urban centers.   Dr Alvaro Bermejo, IPPF’s Director General:  “Poor women bear the brunt of these restrictive laws and will continue to pay with their health and lives until abortion is decriminalized and becomes an integral part of sexual and reproductive health care. IPPF congratulates our partners, civil society and all the activists who fought so valiantly for women’s rights. We will continue working closely with our partners and allies in Argentina in the fight for sexual and reproductive rights for all. ”  

This programme addresses critical challenges faced by young women around sexual health and sexuality. It has produced a range of advocacy, education and informational materials to support research, awareness-raising, advocacy and service delivery.    Girls Decide is about the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women. Around the world, girls aged 10 to 19 account for 23% of all disease associated with pregnancy and childbirth. An estimated 2.5 million have unsafe abortions every year. Worldwide, young women account for 60% of the 5.5 million young people living with HIV and/or AIDS. Girls Decide has produced a range of advocacy, education and informational materials to support work to improve sexual health and rights for girls and young women. These include a series of films on sexual and reproductive health decisions faced by 6 young women in 6 different countries. The films won the prestigious International Video and Communications Award (IVCA). When girls and young women have access to critical lifesaving services and information, and when they are able to make meaningful choices about their life path, they are empowered. Their quality of life improves, as does the well-being of their families and the communities in which they live. Their collective ability to achieve internationally agreed development goals is strengthened. Almost all IPPF Member Associations provide services to young people and 1 in every 3 clients is a young person below the age of 25. All young women and girls are rights-holders and are entitled to sexual and reproductive rights. As a matter of principle, the IPPF Secretariat and Member Associations stand by girls by respecting and fulfilling their right to high quality services; they stand up for girls by supporting them in making their own decisions related to sexuality and pregnancy; they stand for sexual and reproductive rights by addressing the challenges faced by young women and girls at local, national and international levels.