* The present document is being issued without formal editing.

Eighth periodic report submitted by Argentina under article 18 of the Convention, due in 2024 *

[Date received: 6 December 2023]

I.General

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 1 (CEDAW/C/ARG/QPR/8)

1.According to data from the National Population and Housing Census (2022), the population of Argentina is 46,044,703, of which 51.8 per cent is female, and 0.02 per cent does not identify as female or male. As of 2020, the life expectancy of women is 81.4 years.

2.To understand the socioeconomic situation of women, it is useful to study the paid labour market as it is linked to economic autonomy. Since 2023, the labour force participation rate of women has reached 52.2 per cent. The unemployment rate for women is 7.8 per cent, a decrease of 0.5 percentage points compared with the same period in the previous year. In the first quarter of 2023, the hourly underemployment rate of women was 11.7 per cent, 4.1 per cent higher than that of men.

3.The rate of employment of women in the informal sector is 39.3 per cent, compared with 34.6 per cent for men. According to the 2021 Time-Use Survey, 91.7 per cent of women perform domestic or care work. This category accounts for about 15 per cent of the total number of women workers.

4.With regard to gender gaps in the economy, women earn on average 25.3 per cent less than their male counterparts. Some 8.5 per cent of men are in leadership or management positions, compared with 4.7 per cent of women.

5.Persons with disabilities comprise 10.2 per cent of the population. When gender is considered, the distribution is slightly higher for women: 10.8 per cent for females compared with 9.5 per cent for males aged 6 years and older.

6.With respect to self-identification, 87.2 per cent of persons in situations of gender-based violence identified as women, 1.9 per cent as gay or bisexual men, 0.2 per cent as trans women and the same percentage as trans men. The rest of the categories, such as non-binary, transgender, transvestite, queer or intersex, comprise percentages lower than 0.1 per cent. In terms of socioeconomic status, 30.3 per cent reported some remunerated activity.

7.The Integrated System for Cases of Gender-based Violence registered 1,999 persons who indicated that they were of African descent. This constitutes 0.5 per cent of the cases originally registered in the System. In addition, 6,123 cases were registered in which people identified themselves as being a member of an Indigenous People, which represents 1.5 per cent of the total number of cases recorded. The System has also recorded whether people have reported that they have refugee status. In the same period, 3,582 persons with refugee status were registered, comprising 0.5 per cent of the total number of cases registered in the System.

8.The National Directorate for Planning, Monitoring and Information Management, which is under the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, manages the preparation and dissemination of studies and records to generate and systematize strategic information and thus improve the development of public policy.

9.The National Directorate has a Technical Directorate for Records and Databases, which develops and implements computerized information management systems and produces primary information on policies of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, while the Directorate of the Monitoring Centre on Gender-Based Violence and Inequality is responsible for analysing secondary information and producing specialized reports.

10.Both directorates operate in accordance with the information management, transparency and monitoring workstream of the national action plans against gender-based violence for 2020–2022 and 2022–2024. Its measures are aimed at strengthening existing information systems on questions and complaints related to gender-based violence at the federal level and at compiling records on cases of femicide, transvesticide and transfemicide. It also set out measures for the establishment of monitoring centres on gender-based violence and inequality at the provincial and municipal levels. In this regard, the Federal Network of Monitoring Centres and the microsite for the Monitoring Centre were established.

11.The Integrated System for Cases of Gender-based Violence supports the production of information on the assistance provided by the national, provincial and municipal governments to persons in situations of gender-based violence. Such information serves as an input for policy planning and ensures compliance with national and international commitments in this area.

12.In addition, in Argentina there are different entities at the provincial level responsible for recording occurrences of violence against women, including femicides, transvesticides and transfemicides, as well as cases of gender-based violence based and violence that is specific to certain sectors of the population from an intersectional perspective. Public data regarding the 144 hotline are published periodically.

13.Lastly, the following advances in information management by the State are worthy of mention:

•A Care Calculator was developed

•In 2021, the National Time-Use Survey was conducted with the objective of classifying and quantifying people’s use of time and their participation in different types of work (i.e. paid and unpaid labour).

II.Women’s rights and gender equality in relation to the pandemic, recovery efforts and global crises

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 2

14.To address the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Argentine State took a series of comprehensive measures to protect the health security of the entire population. In that regard, it identified the vulnerabilities and risks women and the LGBTI+ population in particular might face. The most significant and innovative actions taken to prevent violence and offset risks are highlighted below.

15.The establishment of the Interministerial Committee on Care Policies means that there is now an entity that could be of great assistance in dealing with future crises. The Committee determines actions to incorporate a gender and diversity perspective into the planning for the provision of care and all policies, and to share experiences among agencies.

16.The “Guide to incorporating a gender and diversity perspective into comprehensive disaster risk management” was developed to establish guidelines for the activities of civil protection agencies in emergency and disaster situations with a view to guaranteeing the rights of women and LGBTIQ+ persons.

17.The financial assistance provided through the universal child allowance, the Progress scholarships and Support (Acompañar) Programme was increased, and the prerequisites were made more flexible. In addition, when emergency family income was being offered, in cases where the benefit was requested by more than one member of the household, women were given priority in its allocation and issuance.

18.In accordance with international standards, the State issued a communication to provincial authorities in the area of sexual and reproductive health in which it indicated that access to contraceptive methods and access to legal termination of pregnancy were essential services that should be guaranteed in the context of the pandemic.

19.The #CuarentenaConDerechos (Quarantine With Rights) campaign was conducted to disseminate information regarding the rights of domestic workers in homes in the context of the pandemic and the movement of children in cases where parents shared responsibility for their care, and to recognize the value of domestic work in the home.

20.The emergency health programme Neighbours Taking Care of Neighbours was implemented. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, outreach posts were set up in low-income neighbourhoods in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, and community promoters were trained to survey families and assess their social and health needs. In this regard, workshops were held on gender-based violence and caregiving tasks. In addition, a guide was developed setting out the tools required by companion caregivers of the elderly.

21.Given that situations of forced social isolation may lead to an increase in cases of gender-based violence and a decrease in the resources available to women and diverse populations, the Argentine State strengthened national actions and mechanisms to assist people in situations of gender-based violence. In this regard, measures have been implemented to guarantee their protection, especially through the 144 hotline.

22.The National Directorate of Gender Policy was designated as an essential part of the Ministry of Security. This ensured continuity in the processing of complaints of gender-based violence and the provision of telephone assistance to complainants.

23.An action guide was distributed through the Red Masks Initiative to offer guidelines on actions pharmacists could take when services were requested by persons in situations of violence who were living with their abusers during the quarantine period.

III.Visibility of the Convention and the Optional Protocol

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraphs 3 (a) and (b)

24.Given that paragraphs 3 (a) and (b) are closely linked, they have been answered together.

25.In 2019, Act No. 27.499 provided for the implementation of mandatory training on gender and gender-based violence for all persons working in public service in the country’s executive, legislative and judicial branches. The new regulation obligated State agencies to expand their course offerings.

26.The work of the Prosecution Unit on Violence against Women of the Public Prosecution Service is aimed at encouraging the application of the standards arising from the Convention, both directly in prosecution activities through protocols and guidelines for action, and indirectly in the rest of the justice system through the dissemination of the principles of international law on the human rights of women and LGBTI+ persons.

27.The Women’s Office of the Supreme Court developed a training plan to integrate a gender perspective into the work of the judiciary. This plan includes several interactive workshops. The goals of the workshops are for participants to learn about the gender perspective, receive theoretical and practical tools to address cases from a gender perspective, and incorporate the regulatory framework (national and international) that protects the rights of women and LGBTI+ persons into their work. Between 2018 and 2022 a total of 21,550 people were trained. Relevant capacity-building programmes include the following: Judicial Diploma on Gender and the Argentine Justice System (150 hours) and Judicial Diploma on Gender for Judges of the Provincial High Courts and Tribunals (100 hours).

28.Since 2012, the Supreme Court has been systematizing judicial decisions on gender issues. In this regard, decisions that reflect the application of international standards on women’s human rights are publicized.

29.The Directorate-General for Training and Education under the Public Prosecution Service launched the Service’s strategic training plan; the related courses are in conformity with the Brasilia Regulations Regarding Access to Justice for Vulnerable People and the Santiago guidelines on the protection of victims and witnesses.

30.The Training Programme on Gender and Violence against Women: Integrating a Gender Perspective in the Activities of the Public Prosecution Service and its Criminal Policy (Micaela’s Law) was approved. The training is offered at the continuing education level and is mandatory for all persons performing functions of the Public Prosecution Service. In particular, the contents cover the Convention and its Optional Protocol, as well as issues related to training on gender equality, Act No. 26.485, trafficking in women and girls, and the exploitation of prostitution.

31.Since 2009, training on gender issues has been mandatory for all members of the Public Defence Service. Between 2016 and 2023, 2,320 members of the Service received mandatory training. In addition, 107 elective courses, attended by 4,255 people, were offered during the same period. The Women’s Office publishes publicly accessible reports that include an evaluation of the impact of the courses.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 3 (c)

32.Although each programme has its own strategies that have been adapted to its own particularities and beneficiaries, the Argentine State has adopted a locally based approach to guaranteeing rights and providing resources to women and the LGBTI+ community. In this regard, meetings, discussions and workshops are held with civil society organizations, cooperatives and gender and diversity promoters, particularly those who are migrants and Indigenous People, to raise awareness and provide training on their rights and the resources available through the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity that ensure a comprehensive approach (e.g. Guaranteeing Rights (Acercar Derechos) Programme, Support (Acompañar) Programme, 144 hotline, etc.). These activities are designed to be accessible and culturally sensitive, particularly when they involve Indigenous Peoples and communities, migrants and women in prison settings.

33.Digital methods have also been used to disseminate information on programmes and to raise awareness of the rights of women and the LGBTI+ community on the social networks of State agencies.

IV.Legislative framework

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 4

34.In terms of promoting equality, the Argentine State has prioritized the establishment of a regulatory framework to govern the social organization of care. In this regard, the “Equality in Care” bill was proposed to establish a comprehensive system for Argentine policies on care was proposed. The bill, which is aimed at expanding care services and infrastructure, promotes the adjustment of working hours in the public and private sectors to better meet care needs and recognizes care work. It also modifies the licensing regime for the public and private sectors.

35.In addition, article 179 of the Labour Contract Act was enacted in law. That article provides that establishments with more than 100 employees must offer childcare facilities during working hours for children up to the age of 3 years who are in the care of employees.

36.Efforts were made to coordinate with provincial governments and civil and political organizations to support the adoption of provincial laws that promote equal political participation in the legislative branch.

V.Women’s access to justice

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 5 (a)

37.Reference should be made to the response to the issues and questions contained in paragraphs 3 (a) and (b), given that the training programmes incorporate a comprehensive gender perspective and are based on an approach to training that aims to provide tools to strengthen the capacity of State actors to comply with laws that deal with the subject.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 5 (b)

38.The Women’s Office developed the Gender Map of the Argentine Justice System, which shows the distribution by gender of posts in the justice system of Argentina, and thus facilitates the monitoring of gender equality obligations in the work of the judiciary.

39.The Office for the Protection of Victims of Domestic Violence and Women in the Provinces of Tucumán and Santiago del Estero implemented a mobile unit project in areas where it was difficult to access justice services.

40.In addition, specific trainings were conducted for justices of the peace throughout the country in order to facilitate access to the justice system for women living in rural and remote areas.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 5 (c)

41.In 2021, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity carried out two activities to strengthen access to justice. First, it established the Guaranteeing Rights to Persons in Situations of Gender-based Violence (Acercar Derechos) Programme.

42.Second, in October 2021, oversight of the Unit of Attorneys for Persons in Situations of Gender-based Violence, which was established through Act 27.210 and operated under the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, was transferred to the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity. Thus, 15 legal professionals, who were working in 13 provinces, joined the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity.

43.The Guaranteeing Rights to Persons in Situations of Gender-based Violence (Acercar Derechos) Programme is a locally based resource. Its objective is to provide comprehensive support (psychosocial and legal) to women and LGBTI+ persons who have experienced gender-based violence. Each team is comprised of professionals from the fields of law, psychology and social work, offering an interdisciplinary approach. The programme has 55 teams made up of professionals in psychology, law and social work throughout the country.

44.Since the establishment of the Programme through September 2023, the teams have offered support to 28,852 people in situations of gender-based violence in all provinces of the country.

45.The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity is currently working on a call for a public competitive recruitment for the appointment of lawyers to the Unit of Attorneys for Persons in Situations of Gender-based Violence throughout the country.

46.In addition, the National Directorate for Promoting and Strengthening Access to Justice operates a federal network for free legal assistance, which operates through 62 agreements signed with departmental bar associations, within the framework of the protocol on the action and operation of the federal network. In 2021, the National Directorate launched a new federal network for free legal assistance, with new agreements signed with universities throughout the country to increase the financial support available.

47.For the period from January 2020 to August 2023, the National Directorate, together with bar associations and universities throughout the country, provided free legal representation before the judiciary in more than 3,600 cases.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 5 (d)

48.The Equal Terms (Equiparar) Programme designed and implemented training sessions that covered the right of access to justice of women and LGBTI+ persons with disabilities. In that regard, concepts such as the following were addressed: accessibility and reasonable accommodation and support to promote the autonomy and free consent of women and LGBTI+ persons with disabilities.

49.The Cultural Diversity Programme of the National Ombudsperson’s Office implements the Project for the Promotion and Dissemination of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including workshops held in the communities’ own territories to raise awareness of their rights. Within this framework, the guides on access to justice for Indigenous Peoples were prepared. These publications include sections translated into five Indigenous languages, address the fundamental rights of Indigenous Peoples and provide tools to guarantee access to justice. More than 2,500 copies have been distributed.

50.The Cultural Diversity Programme also arranges for the provision of language interpreters when required by the ombudspersons. This arrangement was made for Indigenous, Quechua and Guarani-speaking women, who made use of female interpreters of these languages.

51.The Programme on Health, Disability and Elderly Persons prepared the Protocol on access to justice for persons with disabilities: Proposals for appropriate treatment.

52.Among other measures, in order to disseminate information on the rights of persons with disabilities in accessible formats, booklets on their right to appropriate care were developed in both illustrated and Braille versions.

53.The website of the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court has a section on justice and disability where the “Guide for the implementation services to facilitate access to justice for women victims of gender-based violence who are deaf or hard of hearing” can be found.

54.The workshop entitled “Access to justice and gender – Micaela’s Law” was adapted and the training was updated with specific tools to guarantee access to legal information for the blind and visually impaired.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 5 (e)

55.In line with the obligations assumed by the Argentine State before the Committee in respect of the case of Ms. Olga Díaz, the document General principles of action in cases of domestic violence against women for the appropriate implementation of Act 26.485 was prepared. The document establishes the inappropriateness of joint hearings and mediation or conciliation procedures. In addition, it includes a prohibition on joint medical or psychological evaluations.

56.In the area of public advocacy, the above prohibition is set out in a resolution adopted by the National Ombudsperson’s Office in 2022, which approved the “Guide for Action in Cases of Gender-Based Violence”.

57.The Office on Domestic Violence of the Supreme Court refers complaints to the national civil justice system (99 per cent) and to the criminal justice system (88 per cent) according to their material and territorial competence, without prior mediation.

58.Within the Public Prosecution Service, the Prosecution Unit on Violence against Women produces a variety of documents with the general goal of offering tools to strengthen the performance of prosecutors and conducting efficient investigations that meet the requirements associated with the State’s due diligence obligation and the principle of non-discrimination.

VI.National machinery for the advancement of women

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 6 (a)

59.The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity is committed to protecting the rights of women and diverse populations when they are faced with discrimination and violence of any kind. The objective is to build a more egalitarian society that promotes the comprehensive autonomy of all people and that does not establish hierarchies between different sexual orientations and gender identities.

60.With respect to the Ministry’s budget allocation, the 2020 budget had an initial appropriation of 272 million Argentine pesos (Arg$). Subsequently, and as a result of having met its budget implementation targets, the Ministry’s budget was almost quadrupled, to a total of Arg$ 1.064 billion. In 2021, the Ministry began the year with a surplus of Arg$ 6.204 billion. Throughout that year, it received increases that raised the initial allocation to Arg$ 17.582 billion. In 2022, the Ministry’s initial budget was Arg$ 17.582 billion, and by the end of the year, as a result of budget increases, its budget totalled Arg$ 43.532 billion. In 2023, the initial budget, which started at Arg$ 54.683 billion, currently totals Arg$ 77.171 billion.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 6 (b)

61.The Generate (GenerAR) Programme was created in 2020 to support the establishment of gender units at the municipal level and strengthen existing ones with technical training and funding. It aims to promote the development of equality and diversity policies at the municipal level. To this end, technical assistance and transfer of resources are offered within the framework of a comprehensive institutional strengthening effort, which includes training activities, evaluation of indicators and coordination of actions with strategic actors, among other activities.

62.The strategic objective of the Sowing Equality Programme is to provide training and education on gender and diversity and economic autonomy in rural areas in order to reduce inequality with respect to access to and control over economic, social and cultural resources, and to support the comprehensive development of women and LGBTI+ persons in rural areas. This objective is pursued through continuous communication between the Programme and local governments.

63.The evaluation of the National Plan for Equality in Diversity 2021–2023 is in line with the Transparency and Accountability Programme (resolution 139/2063). The objective of the Programme is to develop specific tools and mechanisms to ensure transparent management and accountability to the public.

64.The 2021 budget incorporates a gender perspective through the labelling in each line item of expenditures on policies aimed at reducing gender gaps. Incorporating a gender perspective in the design, implementation and evaluation of the budgets of national, provincial and local entities involves recognizing the differential impact that public policies have on men, women and LGBTI+ persons based on the hierarchical power relations between genders, the subordinate role of women and LGBTI+ persons in the social order, and the ways this structural inequality is reflected in the social, cultural, economic and political spheres. The platform on the open budget with a gender and diversity perspective was also developed.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 6 (c)

65.In order to develop the 2021–2023 national plan for equality in diversity, a series of federal virtual participation forums were held for different sectors: trade union organizations, organizations for the rights of persons with disabilities, rural organizations, ethnic-racial organizations, organizations for LGBTI+ rights, business organizations and local feminist organizations.

66.The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity has an Ad Honorem Advisory Council, made up of 58 activists on feminist, sexual diversity and gender identity issues who have gained recognition in academia, and representatives of unions, social movements, civil society organizations and professional and bar associations. Its mission is to advise and recommend to the Ministry courses of action to develop national public policies on gender, equality, diversity and the elimination of violence.

67.Since its establishment, the Council has held 13 plenary sessions, the outputs of which include reports with recommendations and strategic actions for the Ministry. In addition, the national action plans against gender-based violence for 2020–2022 and 2022–2024, and the 2021–2023 national plan for equality in diversity were harmonized. Information was provided on the action plans to implement Act No. 27.610, on access to voluntary interruption of pregnancy, and for the establishment of the Federal Council to Prevent and Address Femicides, Transvesticides and Transfemicides were reported. Discussions were also held on mechanisms and tools for the institutionalization of gender and diversity policies, gender-based political violence and the strengthening of democratic institutions.

68.In addition, the Directorate for the Promotion of Equality in Political Participation has coordinated with the Federal Council to convene working groups to harmonize the wording used in provincial gender-parity projects and ensure consensus among the different stakeholders, and thus submit the best proposals for approval.

VII.Temporary special measures

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 8

69.All measures adopted by the Ministry of Women involve a comprehensive approach that takes into account the various conditions of vulnerability from an intersectional perspective.

VIII.Gender stereotypes

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 9

70.The information requested in the first part is provided in the response to paragraphs 3 (a) and (b).

71.The overall aim of the national plan for equality is to achieve a social, economic, cultural and environmental transformation in order to reduce gender gaps, specifically by overcoming inequality between women, LGBTI+ persons and men in terms of access to, participation in and the allocation, use, control and quality of resources, services, opportunities and benefits of development in all areas of social life through public policies. All programmes implemented under the plan contribute to this objective.

72.The “Equality in Care” bill on the establishment of a comprehensive system for Argentine policies on care is designed to promote the development of policies and services that ensure the provision, sharing and recognition of care work, as well as its redistribution between the public sector, the private sector, families and community organizations, and among people of all gender identities, so that everyone enjoys the right to provide and receive care on equal terms.

73.The bill is aimed at expanding care services and infrastructure, promotes adjusting working hours in the public and private sectors to better meet care needs, and recognizes care work, in particular at the community level. It also extends leave for pregnant and non-pregnant persons.

IX.Gender-based violence against women

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 10 (a)

74.The 2022–2024 national action plan against gender-based violence was developed through a participatory and federal process that reaffirms the vision of a comprehensive approach to gender-based violence.

75.The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity issued a midterm report on progress made in the implementation of the 2020–2022 national action plan against gender-based violence. At the end of the implementation period, the Ministry issued a report on the results of the plan, which contains information on its implementation, with reference to various key indicators.

76.The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity has tools for planning, monitoring and following up on public policies, including goals and indicators. The Ministry developed a baseline and a system for following up on the conduct of the activities provided for in the 2020–2022 national action plan. The bodies of the national public administration report to the Secretariat for Policies against Gender-based Violence of the Ministry every three months on the progress made, through a logframe matrix designed for that purpose and by means of regular communication through specific internal contacts.

77.The Ministry uses the State Action Map information system and management tool, which was instituted by the Executive Office of the Cabinet of Ministers for use by all bodies as a standardized methodology for the entire national public administration. In addition, the Ministry monitors technical and financial implementation (including reporting on technical budget targets).

78.To promote transparency and accountability, the Ministry’s website offers access to inputs and dashboards derived from the Integrated System for Cases of Gender-based Violence, including an interactive dashboard of System indicators and an interactive dashboard of indicators of the Support (Acompañar) Programme. In addition, a similar dashboard reflecting the indicators of the Guaranteeing Rights (Acercar Derechos) Programme was recently issued. The Ministry developed the first survey to measure the prevalence of violence against women in 12 provinces.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 10 (b)

79.In order to implement the unified registration system for reports of gender-based violence, progress has been made in the development of computer-based tools for the system’s platform, the design of the report-filing mechanism, the creation of the risk scale, the development of technology for consultation with other databases and the accession to and signature of agreements by most of the provinces in the country.

80.Since the establishment of the unified registration system, the need to have human and technical resources allocated exclusively to tasks related to the system, and to update the design of the platform planned for development, has been identified. Efforts are therefore being made to allocate human and technical resources exclusively to continuously improving the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the system; ensure coordination and cross-referencing with national databases; and facilitate the exchange of information between the police and ministerial and judicial authorities.

81.Between 2018 and 2022, the Domestic Violence Office of the Supreme Court of Justice received 38,334 reports in which there was at least one woman or girl affected and in which the accused person was male. Of that total, the Domestic Violence Office brought 38,085 cases before the national civil justice system for the enactment of preventive and urgent measures and referred 33,726 reports to the criminal justice system for investigation. Of the cases referred to the national criminal and correctional justice system, 1,049 were subject to oral proceedings.

82.Between 2018 to 2022, a total of 1,229 direct victims of femicide in Argentina were recorded in the National Registry of Femicides of the Argentine Judiciary. In respect of those cases, 1,015 persons accused of direct femicide were investigated; of that total, 45 (4 per cent) had their cases dismissed, 156 (15 per cent) had their cases set aside, 432 (43 per cent) had cases in the investigation stage and 110 (11 per cent) had cases in the trial stage. A total of 239 perpetrators (24 per cent) were convicted, 85 (9 per cent) pursuant to a non-final judgment and 154 (15 per cent) pursuant to a final judgment. In addition, 17 (2 per cent) were acquitted, 11 pursuant to a non-final judgment and 6 pursuant to a final judgment. For 12 of the remaining cases (1 per cent), another procedural status was reported (including involuntary hospitalization and transfer of the case to the family or juvenile justice system). Of the 1,229 victims of direct femicide registered between 2018 and 2022, at least 1,388 potential beneficiaries of economic reparations under Act No. 27.452 were identified.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 10 (c)

83.Through the Sowing Equality Programme and the National Directorate for Planning, Monitoring and Information Management of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, progress is being made in designing an instrument aimed at contributing to the production, analysis and dissemination of data on the status of women and LGBTI+ persons in rural areas. That instrument will help to produce clear, qualitative and quantitative information in order to reduce inequality in terms of access to rights, an endeavour that is essential to eradicating gender-based violence.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 10 (d)

84.Under the 2022–2024 national action plan against gender-based violence, the following programmes are being implemented to address situations of gender-based violence:

(a)Support (Acompañar) Programme to Assist and Support Persons in Situations of Gender-based Violence: aimed at promoting the economic independence of women and LGBTI+ persons who are at risk as a result of gender-based violence. The programme provides for comprehensive assistance by interdisciplinary teams from the Support Units in order to promote psychosocial empowerment, as well as economic support for six consecutive months in order to create the basic conditions for the development of life plans free from violence;

(b)Guaranteeing Rights (Acercar Derechos) Programme: provides for the establishment throughout the country of specialized interdisciplinary teams working to promote, from an intersectional and intercultural perspective, access to rights and the justice system for women and LGBTI+ persons;

(c)Produce (Producir) Programme: designed to strengthen existing income-generating projects carried out by community organizations led by women and LGBTI+ persons who have experienced gender-based violence, or to establish new such projects;

(d)Programme to Strengthen Local Facilities for the Comprehensive Protection of Persons Affected by Gender-based Violence, through financing for projects to refurbish, equip and expand such facilities;

(e)Programme to Modernize, Optimize and Publicize the 144 Hotline. The work team and the channels for the communication and dissemination of information about the hotline were expanded; mechanisms were established for coordination between the 144 hotline and the 911 emergency assistance system in order to address situations of gender-based violence that require emergency police intervention; teams’ capacities were strengthened through a continuous training plan; and a number of technological improvements were made;

(f)Interministerial Programme for a Comprehensive Approach to Extreme Gender-based Violence. The Federal Council to Prevent and Address Femicides, Transvesticides and Transfemicides was set up as a working forum to ensure a comprehensive approach by all agencies and at all levels of the State administration to preventing, investigating and punishing, and ensuring reparations for, these crimes and other extreme forms of violence;

(g)Programme for Urgent Support and Immediate Comprehensive Assistance in Cases of Extreme Gender-based Violence: aimed at providing comprehensive assistance through economic benefits, psychological support, legal advice, coordination for purposes of immediate transfers and assistance for the processing, upon request and in accordance with Act No. 27.452, of reparations for family members and/or relatives of victims of extreme gender-based violence;

(h)Generate (GenerAR) Programme for the Strengthening of Gender-related Institutions and Diversity throughout the Country: provides for economic support and technical assistance for projects aimed at mainstreaming the principle of equality in diversity in local public policies;

(i)“Macachas and Remedios” community schools for training in gender- and diversity-related matters: provides economic support and technical assistance for projects developed by social and cultural organizations and entities throughout the country to promote training in gender- and diversity-related matters;

(j)Comprehensive local centres for gender- and diversity-related policies. This is a community-level policy for a comprehensive, federal, multi-agency, intersectional and locally based approach to gender-based violence. Each centre has workshop spaces in which vocational training is provided and income-generating projects are carried out. Each building has security cameras for continuous monitoring; universally accessible ramps, corridors and doors; internal and external physical boundaries for circulation control; and air conditioning.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 10 (e)

85.The National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents and the Family, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, and the National Social Security Administration comprise the standing committee responsible for following up on the implementation of the Brisa Law, whose purpose is to monitor and oversee the economic reparations scheme.

86.In accordance with the standing committee’s internal regulations, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity is responsible for preparing a technical report on the relevant situation of gender-based violence after checking the documentation included in the file against the established requirements. As at 1 September 2023, the Ministry had processed 864 requests for reparations.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 10 (f)

87.These programmes have been implemented throughout the country. Public information on their scope is available on each programme’s website.

X.Trafficking and exploitation of prostitution

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 11 (a)

88.Efforts have been made to strengthen the Council’s day-to-day work; to that end, internal regulations are being implemented. The Council’s plenary meetings have become regular occurrences: 18 plenary meetings were held throughout the period under review. On an annual basis, progress reports are issued and then submitted to the National Congress for approval.

89.To evaluate the results of the 2020–2022 national plan against trafficking and the exploitation of persons, an annual progress report on the plan was prepared.

90.The national plan, in coordination with the Executive Committee, the Internal Security Commission, the Monitoring Centre for Victims of the National Chamber of Deputies, and the National Senate, promotes joint work to develop an analysis of legislative proposals relating to trafficking in persons and related crimes.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 11 (b)

91.Assistance to victims in Argentina starts from the moment of the raid conducted by personnel specialized in rescue and support operations, in accordance with the National Rescue Programme. Under the Programme, accommodation and medical, psychological and legal assistance are offered until the relevant witness statement is provided in court.

92.In February 2022, the national Victims against Violence Programme was brought under the remit of the National Directorate for Promoting and Strengthening Access to Justice in order to align the care provided to victims of sexual and/or family violence under the programme since 2006 with the work of the Support Centre for Low-Income Neighbourhoods. As a result, the personalized support service under the 137 hotline was expanded through the inclusion of an option to receive advice on legal matters from professionals trained at the Access to Justice Centres.

93.Interdisciplinary teams based at the Access to Justice Centres are mobilized in emergencies throughout the country, in coordination with police forces and with referrals to local services, in order to assist women seeking help and follow up on cases with local support and previously established coordination networks.

94.In 2023, the mobile teams that intervene in emergencies assisted 497 victims of sexual and/or family violence in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, expanding the federal network by coordinating with 10 provinces in 38 specific operations.

95.As at 31 August 2023, a total of 3,157 women and LGBTI+ persons in situations of trafficking and/or exploitation had received assistance under the Support (Acompañar) Programme.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 11 (b)

96.Computer records show that 865 cases of trafficking in persons and of economic exploitation of prostitution with at least one woman victim were recorded between 2016 and 2023. Of that total, 58 per cent of cases had some form of termination and the remaining 42 per cent are pending.

97.For the 2016–2023 period, the Office of the Prosecutor for Trafficking in and Exploitation of Persons provides the following information:

•Prosecutions: 458, of which 61.1 per cent correspond to cases of sexual exploitation and 34.9 per cent to cases of labour exploitation, and the remainder to cases involving both sexual exploitation and labour exploitation, child sexual exploitation and forced marriage.

•Sentences: 310 convictions. Of the convictions for which case types were reported, 71.6 per cent corresponded to cases of sexual exploitation. Of the total of 1,225 victims, 81.9 per cent were women, while in cases involving sexual exploitation, the ratio increases to 99.2 per cent.

•145 hotline forms: A total of 13,989 reports were received. Reports of sexual exploitation accounted for 44.24 per cent, followed by reports of labour exploitation, which accounted for 16.96 per cent. The remainder contain references to some other phenomenon (search for missing persons, possible misleading offers, etc.).

•Preliminary investigations: 1,748 preliminary investigations were initiated during this period; 53.8 per cent were for cases of sexual exploitation and 34.1 per cent were for cases of labour exploitation.

•Reparations for victims: 55 judgments providing for reparations for victims were issued. In 46 of those judgments, the amounts granted are given. The total sum of reparations provided is Arg$ 166,364,703.04, and the amounts granted range from Arg$ 5,628 to Arg$ 34,469,562.63. In addition, while some judgments do not specify an amount, they do provide, for example, for reparations in the form of the proceeds from the sale of confiscated goods or in an amount equivalent to a certain level of the minimum adjustable living wage. Moreover, reparations in foreign currency are provided for in 10 judgments, amounting to a total of US$ 56,140 and € 970.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 11 (c)

98.During the period 2016–2023, more than 850 staff members of the Public Prosecution Service completed the various capacity-building programmes specifically related to the investigation of trafficking in persons and related crimes.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 11 (d)

99.A system containing information and data on trafficking in persons has been developed. This system is in line with the databases that are being developed in other countries in the region in order to establish a regional platform to facilitate the exchange of information on trafficking in persons.

100.The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights established two regional offices in border areas in order to increase the presence of the national Government through a multidisciplinary body trained in early detection of trafficking cases and appropriate treatment of victims in transit. These offices are located at the Aguas Blancas and Tri‑Border border crossings.

101.In accordance with the 2022–2024 plan, Argentina is participating in the updating of the minimum criteria and guidelines for action set out in the 2012 Guide for Regional Action for the Early Detection of Situations of Trafficking in Persons at Border Crossings of the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR) and associated States, adopted by the Ministers of the Interior and of Security of MERCOSUR.

102.The Public Prosecution Service coordinates the Ibero-American Network of Specialized Prosecutors against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants of the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors.

103.To facilitate flexible and immediate cooperation, the web platform of the Ibero-American Legal Assistance Network is used. Each prosecutor has a username and password for the platform to ensure the secure transmission of information. This specific cooperation network operates in a manner complementary to the generic direct cooperation channels established by the Ibero-American Association of Public Prosecutors and MERCOSUR.

104.To improve international cooperation, the Public Prosecution Service has signed 14 inter-institutional cooperation agreements with foreign public prosecution services, in which joint initiatives in various areas are set out.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 11 (e)

105.In accordance with the 2020–2022 biennial plan, the single coordination protocol for rescuing and assisting victims of trafficking in persons was updated.

106.The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity has a coordination office for supporting and monitoring policies designed to combat trafficking in and exploitation of persons. The office is responsible for identifying and pinpointing local needs relating to trafficking in and exploitation of persons; assisting in the design of public policies for the prevention of trafficking in and exploitation of persons, in coordination with other bodies of the national public administration with competence in that area; and promoting strategies for intervention in conjunction with provincial and municipal governments, in order to support and monitor policies to combat trafficking in and exploitation of persons.

107.Virtual meetings were held with provincial-level focal points to improve interministerial and cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms and enhance access to various forms of assistance for people in situations of trafficking and exploitation.

108.Lastly, in 2021 the coordination office participated in the development of a guide on best practices for cross-provincial and international coordination on comprehensive assistance to address the unique situations of victims of trafficking in persons and of sexual and labour exploitation.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 11 (f)

109.The National Programme to Rescue and Support Victims of Trafficking provides for an interdisciplinary team of professionals who offer assistance and protection for victims from a gender and human-rights perspective. The Programme also provides for a shelter for the accommodation of rescued victims and ensures comprehensive assistance and a safe environment.

110.With regard to reparations, in 2021 the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights set up a direct assistance fund for victims of trafficking in persons after signing an administrative trust agreement. As at September 2023, economic reparations had been provided to 45 victims of trafficking in persons, pursuant to three court judgments.

111.With regard to financial resources, the Programme provides for a fund to cover all expenses incurred in offering support and multidisciplinary assistance to victims of trafficking in persons, from the moment of the relevant court-ordered raid until the relevant witness statement is provided.

XI.Equal participation in political and public life

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 12 (a)

112.According to the report on parity in Argentina prepared by the Monitoring Centre for Parity-based Democracy of the Ministry of the Interior, in 2019 women accounted for 40.73 per cent of participants in deliberative councils at the national level. Similarly, between 2021 and 2023, women accounted for 43.6 per cent of the members of the National Chamber of Deputies and for 43.1 per cent of the National Chamber of Senators.

113.With regard to the participation of women in legislative elections, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity prepared a report on the 2021 elections in which it indicated that the 181 slates submitted during the 2021 national elections complied with the principle of parity.

114.With respect to representation in the national executive branch, the Secretariat for Management and Public Employment conducted an analysis of the gender gap in government positions in Argentina from 2009 to 2023, in which it indicated that 47.5 per cent of senior public service positions (approximately 1,600 positions) were held by women, 49.5 per cent of civil service positions (more than 100,000 positions) were held by women, and 35.3 per cent of senior authorities (156) were women. In addition, as at June 2023, 25 per cent of ministers, 32 per cent of secretaries and 38 per cent of deputy secretaries were women, and 38 per cent of other positions were held by women.

115.In its report, the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court indicates that, in 2022, 45 per cent of the most senior positions, such as that of judge, attorney, prosecutor and defender, were held by women. Moreover, in the Argentine justice system as a whole, 61 per cent of officials were women and 51 per cent of the staff of the Attorney General’s Office were women.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 12 (b)

116.Argentine laws cover only elected positions in the legislative branch and in the decision-making bodies of political parties; they do not include the executive branch. However, the 2022 presidential instruction on the equal participation of men and women in the appointment of senior authorities provides that appointment to senior positions in the ministries comprising the National Cabinet must be guided by the principle of gender equality.

117.With regard to measures aimed at increasing participation at the provincial and municipal levels, work on provincial-level regulations on gender parity, to replace laws on quotas for women, has been under way since 2020.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 12 (c)

118.Act No. 27.412 on gender parity in forums of political representation, enacted in 2017, marked a milestone in the struggle for gender equality and heralded a new phase in our country by ensuring meaningful access for women to forums of representation. Information on its implementation is publicly accessible, with data disaggregated by province.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 12 (d)

119.In conjunction with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), the “More Parity, More Democracy” campaign was implemented in order to promote and strengthen parity-based democracy during the 2023 electoral process in Argentina, through the dissemination of information and public awareness-raising of the importance of the equal and meaningful participation of women and LGBTI+ persons in politics.

120.The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity published Political Participation with a Gender and Diversity Perspective through Editorial MinGeneros. The publication provides a basis for reflection on the inequalities faced by women and LGBTI+ persons in political forums, hate speech, political violence and the current challenges to promoting and ensuring greater and better participation.

121.One of the central prevention-related measures set out in the national action plan against gender-based violence is the national campaign entitled “Argentina United against Gender-based Violence”, pursuant to which awareness-raising initiatives targeting the media, social and community organizations, schools and businesses, among others, are being carried out. As part of this campaign, meetings are being held in order to discuss and reflect on the incorporation of tools to prevent and address political violence, and to strengthen the political participation of women and LGBTI+ persons. The plan provides for research on political violence in order to identify obstacles to support for public policies aimed at preventing and addressing such violence.

122.A document entitled Monitoring, Gender and Politics. Campaign for the 2021 Open, Simultaneous and Mandatory Primary Elections: Representations and Parity in Television Newscasts was issued. The ways in which the candidacies of women, people with non-heteronormative identities and men were represented in audiovisual media during the campaign for the 2021 open, simultaneous and mandatory primary elections in Argentina were described and interrogated in the study.

XII.Education

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 13 (a)

123.All provinces of Argentina have a comprehensive sexuality education team in charge of the design of syllabuses and of the inclusion of comprehensive sexuality education topics for all educational levels, among other functions.

124.The Ministry of Education implements a policy of comprehensive sexuality education that has a specific budget allocation for all the provinces of Argentina. In 2023, that budget was increased by 109 per cent compared to 2022. The Ministry also has a national budget for the implementation of teacher training policies and the production of specific materials.

125.Regarding teacher training, at the national level, the National Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programme, through the National Institute for Teacher Training, has nationwide resources that include a further education course in comprehensive sexuality education, five online courses and a series of training modules. In addition, the Programme conducts face-to-face sessions in the provinces, referred to as provincial comprehensive sexuality education, to address a number of topics. In the period from 2020 to 2023, more than 426,000 teachers, management and supervisory teams and/or workers in the education system have received comprehensive sexuality education training.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 13 (b)

126.The Ministry of Education, through the National Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programme, together with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Development, implements the National Plan to Prevent and Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Adolescents, which aims to reduce adolescent pregnancy in 11 provinces of Argentina. As part of the plan, during the first two quarters of 2023, comprehensive sexuality education was provided, through a number of activities, to more than 160,000 participating students. Currently, all the provinces of Argentina have signed agreements with the Ministry of Health to ensure that the plan reaches the entire country.

127.In addition, pursuant to Act No. 25.273, a special attendance scheme for pregnant pupils was established. Under Act No. 25.808, public educational institutions are prohibited from preventing pregnant students or nursing mothers from continuing their studies in a normal manner.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 13 (c)

128.As part of the activities conducted by the National Institute for Technological Education of the Ministry of Education, the Federal Committee on Gender and Vocational Training has been established, which seeks to encourage and promote activities aimed at this objective in all provinces of Argentina.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 13 (e)

129.According to the statistical dossier prepared by National Statistics and Census Institute, data from the Permanent Household Survey for the third quarter of 2022 show that the school attendance rate for women is 99.4 per cent at the primary level and 95.8 per cent at the secondary level. An analysis of the highest level of education attained in the population 25 years of age and older showed that 40.0 per cent of women reported not having completed their secondary education, while the rate for men was 46.3 per cent. In turn, 34.4 per cent of women have a college or university education, either partial or completed.

130.The 2022 Statistical Yearbook recorded very similar distributions for men and women in the compulsory school years: 49.5 per cent (843,939) of students at the early educational level, 49.2 per cent (2,382,204) at the primary level and 49.9 per cent (2,022,109) at the secondary level are women. At the non-university higher education level, 70.7 per cent of students (707,344) are women. In special education, in 2022, women accounted for 37.4 per cent (38,591) of all pupils. At the early education level, 40.5 per cent (6,524) are women, and the rate is 35.8 per cent (16,838) at the primary level and 38.1 per cent (15,229) at the secondary level. In adult education, 56.3 per cent of students (690,648) are women.

131.The statistical summary for the university institutions of Argentina indicates that in 2021 there were 133 university institutions, and the State sector accounted for 80.8 per cent of undergraduate and graduate students. Some 33.3 per cent of women students and 31. 5 per cent of men students are newly enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. Some 27.2 per cent of women students and 22.1 per cent of men students graduate in the standard time expected for a given degree.

132.According to the report on women in the Argentine university system for the years 2021 and 2022, women account for a higher proportion than men of the total number of students, the total number of graduates and also the total number of newly enrolled students. In all cases, the proportion of women is close to 60 per cent of the total for each category. This proportion is observed both at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although it is somewhat lower at the graduate level.

133.In 2021, the proportion of women students in undergraduate and graduate courses in health sciences was 75.9 per cent, followed by 72.5 per cent of women students in human sciences, 62.4 per cent in basic sciences and 60.8 per cent in social sciences. Lastly, they accounted for 40.1 per cent of all students in undergraduate and graduate programmes in applied sciences.

XIII.Employment

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 14 (a)

134.Article 179 of Act No. 20.744, the Labour Contract Act, was enacted in law in March 2022, through Decree No. 144/2022. This article stipulates that businesses with more than 100 employees must offer childcare facilities during working hours for children between 45 days and 3 years of age who are in the care of employees.

135.The Encouragement Programme is focused on employment promotion and vocational education. Its main objectives are to help unemployed workers to improve their job skills and find quality employment and to provide incentives to employers to offer the unemployed formal jobs. The following population groups receive special treatment under the Programme:

•Women between 25 and 59 years of age without a college or university degree, with dependent children

•Non-binary persons, whose identity cards show that status (designated with an “X”), of from 25 to 64 years of age, without a college or university degree, with dependent children

•Beneficiaries of the Support (Acompañar) Programme (currently enrolled)

•Former beneficiaries who have completed the Support (Acompañar) Programme

•Transvestite, transexual and transgender persons

•Persons in situations of gender-based violence

•Victims of sexual exploitation or human trafficking or persons who are in a situation of vulnerability linked to prostitution.

136.That priority treatment gives them preference in the assignment of places on a job orientation or vocational training course and includes a monthly allowance of Arg$ 25,000 while they are in receipt of some of those benefits.

137.A total of 224,605 women are in the Encouragement Programme, accounting for 68.8 per cent of all participants.

138.It should be noted that work is under way to provide childcare facilities for participants in vocational training courses.

139.The “Equality in Care” bill, mentioned above, promotes the equitable sharing of domestic responsibilities and proposes a change in the paternity leave system.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 14 (b)

140.The Levelling Up Programme disseminates its workstreams among provincial and local governments. As part of this coordination, the Río Grande Levelling Up Seal has been introduced in that province to promote a gradual organizational transformation in the labour market in order to build work environments free of gender inequalities.

141.The Levelling Up Trades Seal has also been introduced, to mainstream the gender perspective in vocational training centres to ensure that they are inclusive for women and LGBTI+ persons.

142.An important step in ensuring continuous coordination between the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity and the municipalities in the implementation of gender equality policies has been the Generate (GenerAR) Programme, designed to strengthen the institutional framework for gender and diversity in provincial and municipal governments, establish specialized units and implement equality and diversity policies.

143.With respect to horizontal segregation in the labour market, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security established a nationwide programme for the promotion and inclusion of women in the motor transport sector. The programme aims to promote standards of gender equality and truly equal opportunities and treatment in access to jobs and in job retention.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 14 (d)

144.The Levelling Up Programme also implements strategies to reduce the persistent gender pay gap through coordination with trade union organizations. These have the titles “Trade Union Equality” and “Comprehensive Plan for Awareness-raising and Training in Equality, Diversity and Gender-based Violence in the Workplace (Micaela’s Law for Unions)” and mainly consist of training and technical assistance and focus on strengthening the commitment of labour unions to plans that promote gender equality in their sectors.

145.The Levelling Up Programme also publishes quarterly reports on women’s participation in work, income and production, which include statistical information on changes in the gender pay gap.

146.The Department for Planning, Studies and Statistics prepares a gender bulletin, which contains information on the salaries paid to men and women.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 14 (e)

147.According to the Domestic Violence Office’s statistical report for 2022, the total number of victims who filed complaints with the Office is 13,835, 76 per cent of whom were women. There were 27 victims of other genders (trans women, trans/transvestite males and others). The age group most affected is adult women between 18 and 59 years of age (52 per cent). Among all adults reported in complaints, 81 per cent were male. In particular, of the total number of complaints received, 10 per cent (1,425) referred to sexual violence. An analysis of the type of sexual violence by sex of victim shows that 93 per cent were women.

148.The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights conducted a national study on violence against women that showed that 21 per cent suffered some form of sexual violence in their lifetime, 6.6 per cent suffered sexual violence in the previous 5 years and 1.7 per cent were victims of some form of sexual violence in the previous year. Taking into account the forms of sexual violence considered in the study, the prevalence is 5.4 per cent since the age of 16, 1.2 per cent during the previous five years and 0.1 per cent during the previous year.

149.The Ministry of Labour has implemented general guidelines on prevention, information and intervention in situations of gender-based violence that constitute a protocol for dealing with harassment in the workplace and sexual harassment occurring where vocational training and employment promotion policies are implemented.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 14 (f)

150.The Registered Programme is aimed at women who work in private homes who have been registered with the Federal Public Revenue Administration and at employers who report that they have a new employee. The Programme promotes access to employment for female domestic workers and their retention in such positions. Its objective is to reduce informality and guarantee access to and permanence in employment and to encourage usage of the banking system. The Programme lasts eight months (instead of the normal six months) for workers with disabilities or with children with disabilities; transvestite, transsexual or transgender workers; and workers who are beneficiaries of the Support (Acompañar) Programme. From October 2021 to August 2023, 139,611 subsidies were awarded through the Programme.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 14 (g)

151.According to the Directorate for the Inspection of Child and Adolescent Labour and Indications of Labour Exploitation, in the period from January 2016 to August 2023, there were 179 criminal complaints of child labour in cases involving 209 children, 72 of whom were girls.

XIV.Economic empowerment of women

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 15

152.In connection with the consideration of the “Equality in Care” bill, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity carried out the following political advocacy activities:

•Participation in the parliamentary forums on care organized by the Women and Diversity Committee and Labour Legislation Committee of the National Congress

•Participation in federal forums in preparation for the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean conference

•Participation in working meetings with agencies of the United Nations system (UN-Women, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Labour Organization) and coordination of communication and dissemination initiatives

•Participation in meetings with feminist economists and women academics who specialize in care issues

•Participation in forums with trade unions

•Presentation of the bill to chambers of commerce and representatives of organizations of small and medium-sized enterprises

•Participation in provincial discussions on care in various provinces with the objective of opening an intersectoral dialogue on the implications of the adoption of the bill

•Participation in nationwide activities held in connection with Father’s Day, together with civil society organizations, to raise community awareness of the need to extend leave for non-pregnant persons.

153.The National Programme for Gender Equality in the Workplace, Employment and Production (Levelling Up Programme) implements various strategies to promote the adoption of a comprehensive national system of support and care. It implements the Levelling Up Seal, through which public and private companies are encouraged to undertake an organizational transformation to reduce gender inequality by contributing to the generation of fairer, more inclusive and gender violence-free workplaces.

154.The Self-Employment Programme provides technical and financial assistance to women throughout the country to strengthen their enterprises that produce goods and/or services, with a strong local support base. It promotes continuous training in areas that the enterprise requires, including financial, productive and marketing aspects. Participation in the programme also entails formalization, ensuring the proper social security protection and health coverage.

155.The Ministry of the Economy launched more than 57 initiatives to reduce gender gaps. Incentives for the integration of women into strategic productive sectors that have historically been male-dominated and for the granting of subsidized rates, lines of credit or other benefits for projects that include women and diverse populations are an important element in those initiatives.

156.In November 2020, a gender cabinet was established within the Ministry of Productive Development to coordinate and implement the measures to incorporate the gender perspective that were systematized in the 2020–2022 Plan for Productive Development with a Gender Perspective which, inter alia, provides for supporting women’s entrepreneurship and gives a central role to financial inclusion.

157.The Department of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises has programmes aimed at boosting the output and productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises which include action lines focused on supporting projects led by women or that simply have sought to ensure a cross-cutting gender perspective.

158.For example, the programme of tax credits for training in small and medium-sized enterprises gives priority to projects linked to gender equity. It grants refunds of up to 100 per cent of the cost of training in the form of a tax credit certificate for the payment of federal taxes.

159.The Create Strategic Projects Programme is a credit line aimed at medium and large industrial, agro-industrial and industrial services enterprises that have projects that, among other things, generate new jobs and incorporate frontier technology and domestically produced capital goods, and that include a gender perspective.

160.The National Productive Development Fund under the Create Direct Credits Programme grants loans to finance productive investment projects for certified micro and small enterprises and cooperatives in the industrial, agro-industrial and industrial services sectors, with a quota of 20 per cent for small and medium-sized enterprises led by women (with more than 50 per cent female partners or with a woman on the board of directors and 25 per cent female partners).

161.The Department also provides information and technical assistance to women entrepreneurs throughout the country who are interested in applying for the credit lines.

162.The Directorate of Gender and Equality of the National Institute of Family, Small-scale and Indigenous Farming has implemented the comprehensive In Our Hands Programme to boost the production of rural women; it seeks to reduce gaps in the equity held by women involved in family, small-scale and Indigenous farming and artisanal fishing by facilitating access to machinery, tools and investments in agricultural and livestock technology.

163.The Critical and Direct Assistance Programme was also implemented to bolster the production of rural women in critical situations of gender-based violence.

XV.Health

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 16 (a)

164.The National Directorate for Sexual and Reproductive Health continuously trains the team of sexual health consultants who work on its hotline in the field of sexual and reproductive rights, taking into account that people who request voluntary termination of pregnancy/legal termination of pregnancy face abuse in the form of multiple obstacles.

165.In regard to combating obstetric violence pursuant to Act No. 25.929, some of the action lines implemented under the national action plan against violence are aimed at preventing and raising awareness of obstetric violence to change the perception of practices that generate and reproduce situations of inequality and gender-based violence.

166.In this regard, broad spaces were established for discussion and dialogue with organizations of doulas and childcare workers, and meetings were held with civil society organizations, cooperatives and promoters of gender and diversity (particularly migrants and Indigenous people), among others, to change perceptions of and prevent this form of abuse, and to offer information on the resources available through the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity to ensure that the issue is addressed holistically (such as, for example, the Guaranteeing Rights (Acercar Derechos) Programme, the Support (Acompañar) Programme, the Network of Comprehensive Assistance for Gender-based Violence and the 144 hotline).

167.In addition, in 2021, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity and the Ministry of Health formed an inter-institutional working group to strengthen the implementation of Act No. 25.929 on respectful childbirth.

168.The effective implementation of Act No. 25.929 on respectful childbirth and the comprehensive approach to obstetric violence are among the pillars of the Thousand Days Act, adopted in December 2020, which recognizes that bearing, raising and caring for girls and boys is a public responsibility and commits the different areas and levels of government to joint action, with a comprehensive vision of life courses and a rights perspective.

169.Under article 30 of Act No. 27.611, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity is jointly responsible for coordinating the comprehensive health care of pregnant persons and their children up to 3 years of age. Coordination is led by the Ministry of Health and its core function is the integral approach to and coordination of the actions necessary for the full implementation of this Act.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 16 (b)

170.The supply of long-acting contraceptive methods for the adolescent population has been improved through the national plan to prevent unintended adolescent pregnancy. It should be noted that the plan is aimed at capacity-building and improving the supply of sexual and reproductive health services in the 12 provinces of Argentina with the most critical indicators.

171.At the provincial level, the plan coordinates the provision to the target population of direct and indirect services (the latter being actions to improve the services provided in the provincial health and education systems).

172.Its action lines consist of:

•Strengthening comprehensive sex education in State secondary schools through teacher training.

•Comprehensive health counselling in schools and comprehensive health services in secondary schools and connecting with health centres through the assignment of dedicated appointments for counselling and contraceptive method insertion.

•Promoting sexual and reproductive rights in the community to encourage use of health services, in particular, though not exclusively, among adolescents who are not enrolled in the education system.

•Achieving the aim of the Mechanism to Prevent and Address Sexual Abuse and Forced Pregnancy and Ensure Access to Justice, which is to highlight the problem of sexual abuse and forced pregnancy – especially in children under 15 years of age – through advocacy sessions in the provinces; to facilitate addressing the problem; and to provide comprehensive legal support to children and adolescents under 15 years of age who are victims of sexual abuse and violence, including support for access to legal termination of pregnancy, if they so choose.

173.Lastly, in 2023, the process to implement the plan at the national level began in the provinces where it had not been implemented.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 17 (a)–(c)

174.Actions to support implementation of Act No. 27.610 are systematized and published in response to access to public information requests. We believe that the policy of accountability is a fundamental aspect of the rights-based approach to public policy, strengthens the leading role played by the Government and enables social participation and mechanisms for the enforceability of human rights.

XVI.Rural women

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 18 (a)

175.The Directorate of Gender and Equality of the National Institute of Family, Small-scale and Indigenous Farming has connected with many public agencies and non-governmental organizations interested in including rural women in their projects. It has a team of professionals in each province that replicates the agreements made at the national level and implements the Directorate’s plans.

176.The Sowing Equality Programme is working on the design of an instrument to contribute to the production and analysis of data on the situation of women and LGBTI+ persons in the rural environment which will help to provide clear information to reduce the inequality gaps in access to rights that are key to eradicating gender-based violence. The collection of this information will guide public policy actions that are geared towards equality.

177.During the period from 2021 to 2023, 84 workshops were held, reaching 1,734 women and LGBTI+ persons in different provinces. The topics covered in those workshops were access to land, water and territory, gender and disability, gender and diversity, financial inclusion, masculinities, Indigenous women, public policies, projects, diagnostics and food sovereignty. In addition, in order to address digital inclusion and economic autonomy in the rural sector, participants in the workshops organized by the Programme were given tablet computers.

178.The #Transformadoras (Women Transformers) campaign was conducted and an invitation was sent to 20 women’s organizations to participate in the course on business models for rural women’s entrepreneurship that was organized by the Specialized Meeting on Family Farming.

179.The Sowing Sovereignty Programme supports family farming production; promotes agroecological production and contributes to the consolidation and continuity of the experiences of associations of food producers that bring together the most vulnerable sectors; strengthens a varied supply of food products on a scale in line with local/regional consumption demand; strengthens short food distribution channels; and promotes a spirit of partnership among food production units.

180.The In Our Hands Programme is led by the Secretariat of Family, Small-scale and Indigenous Farming, and is supported by the provincial governments. It promotes the presentation of productive projects intended for organizations, communities or partnerships of rural women throughout the country.

181.In the period from 2020 to 2023, in the Northern Corridor, the National Directorate for Promoting and Strengthening Access to Justice and its Access to Justice Centres deployed mobile offices consisting of a lawyer, a social worker, a doctor and a driver-administrator, that provide an itinerant justice service with a comprehensive approach to interpersonal and/or legal disputes. The service provides access to legal services and solutions to legal problems for people who, as a result, do not have to leave their remote areas to settle disputes.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 18 (b)

182.Act No. 27.118 on historical reparation of family farming seeks to promote the development of rural areas throughout the country by recognizing and consolidating family farming’s leading social role in the rural environment. It also is designed to increase productivity and food security and sovereignty. The idea is to value and protect the essential agents of a productive system that is tied to family settlements in rural areas, on the basis of environmental, social and economic sustainability.

183.The National Institute of Family, Small-scale and Indigenous Farming is in the process of drawing up the national plan of action for the United Nations Decade of Family Farming, which proposes to establish concrete mechanisms to strengthen family, small-scale and Indigenous farming by including and formalizing the sector, contributing to rural and productive development, and strengthening access and ties to land. The national plan of action is intended to be based on Act No. 27.118.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 18 (c)

184.In preparation for the national plan of action for the United Nations Decade of Family Farming, five regional meetings were held with representatives of national and provincial family farming organizations and representatives of relevant government agencies.

185.Within the framework of the MERCOSUR Specialized Meeting on Family Farming that was held in 2023, a colloquium entitled “Facing the challenge of climate change, public policies and adaptation of family farming: experiences, governance and innovative strategies for sustainability in food systems” and a seminar on policy instruments to expand family farming’s access to public markets were organized.

186.Argentina has a national system for comprehensive risk management and civil protection that is based on the various initiatives proposed by the National Council headed by the Chief of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Federal Council chaired by the Minister of Security.

XVII.Indigenous women and women of African descent

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 19 (a)

187.The Coordinating Office for Addressing Gender-based Violence against Members of Indigenous Peoples of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity aims to provide, in coordination with local community organizations, protection and comprehensive, culturally appropriate assistance to members of Indigenous Peoples in situations of gender-based violence. At the same time, it seeks to prevent situations of gender-based violence affecting Indigenous persons.

188.As at 30 August 2023, 4,985 Indigenous women and LGBTI+ persons had participated in the Support (Acompañar) Programme since its implementation began. A total of 29 community organizations of Indigenous women and LGBTI+ persons have joined the Produce (Producir) Programme.

189.Under the Guaranteeing Rights (Acercar Derechos) Programme, professional intercultural facilitators have joined the interdisciplinary teams to provide community-based support to migrant and Indigenous women and LGBTI+ persons in situations of gender-based violence. The facilitators are tasked with assisting migrants and Indigenous persons in situations of gender-based violence, taking into account the specificities of each community.

190.An agreement has been signed with the University Language Centre of the University of Buenos Aires to enable Indigenous language interpreters to assist the interdisciplinary teams of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity in addressing situations of gender-based violence. In addition, information about the Act on the Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy and the resource guide of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity for social and community organizations have been translated into six Indigenous languages.

191.Under the agreement with the University Language Centre, the automated responses of the 144 hotline have been translated into five languages (Quechua, Qom, Wichi, Mapuche and Guaraní) for the WhatsApp messaging service, through which callers can request the services of an interpreter of their language.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 19 (d)

192.In 2022 and 2023, the Ministry of Social Development carried out the “No more chineo” campaign, with the aim of raising awareness of the practice of chineo, a form of sexual abuse against Indigenous girls, and strengthening shared responsibility within communities to prevent sexual abuse against Indigenous children.

193.Regarding measures taken to ensure due process for women detained in the police operative in the Mapuche community Lafken Winkul Mapu, on Wednesday, 5 October 2022, the National Directorate for Strengthening Access to Justice of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity appeared at the Federal Court of First Instance of Bariloche before Judge María Silvina Domínguez in case No. FGR 16149/2022, entitled Names unknown, concerning arson or other destruction and assault on the authorities and, in the motion for the release of Romina Rosas, expressed concern about her continued detention and requested that her urgent release be considered while the proceedings were in progress.

194.On Thursday, 6 October 2022, the Directorate appeared before the court to express its concern regarding the transfer of four women to a complex in the Province of Buenos Aires, since this measure undermined their ability to exercise their right to defence.

195.Also on 6 October, the then Coordinator of the Guaranteeing Rights (Acercar Derechos) Programme in Bariloche, Diana Arbelaiz, made an in-person visit to the Bariloche Area Hospital, to which Romina Rosas had been admitted, to assist the pregnant woman and submitted a note to the Director of the hospital, Ramón Carrillo, in which she put forward arguments and recommendations on ensuring effective compliance with National Act No. 25.929 on respectful childbirth.

196.In addition, officials of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity visited the Ezeiza women’s prison to meet with the detained women who had been transferred there, with a view to understanding their situation and evaluating courses of action.

197.In the following days, officials of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity were in constant contact with the lawyer of the detained women and with community representatives. Communication was maintained with the lawyer after the women had returned to their province.

198.On 10 February 2023, the second forum for dialogue on the territorial dispute in Villa Mascardi, convened by the National Secretariat of Human Rights, was held in Bariloche. Participants included members of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Ministry of Security and representatives of the Mapuche community, who came together to discuss the situation in Villa Mascardi.

199.On 8 May 2023, the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity sent a letter to the Federal Court of First Instance of Bariloche to express concern about the procedural status of Betiana Ayelén Colhuan, Martha Luciana Jaramillo, María Celeste Ardaiz Guenumil and Romina Rosas in case No. FGR16149/2022 entitled Colhuan, Betiana Ayelén and others concerning encroachment (Art. 181 para.1) and to request that the case be considered from a gender, intercultural and intersectional perspective.

200.The Coordinating Office for Addressing Gender-Based Violence against Members of Indigenous Peoples has arranged for Betiana Ayelén Colhuan, Martha Luciana Jaramillo, María Celeste Ardaiz Guenumil and Romina Rosas to join the Support (Acompañar) Programme.

201.On 1 June 2023, the third forum for dialogue on the territorial conflict in Villa Mascardi was held. The Under-Secretary for Special Programmes against Gender-based Violence was among the participants.

XVIII.Women with disabilities

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 20 (a)

202.The Gender Policy Unit participates in the Interministerial Committee on Care Policies and in the National Cabinet for the Mainstreaming of Gender Policies. In addition, the National Cabinet for Disability Mainstreaming in Public Policies was established.

203.The Gender Policy Unit provides training on gender and gender-based violence for various directorates and departments of the National Disability Agency. It also provides training on sexual and reproductive rights from a disability perspective to health, education and other professionals. The Unit contributed to the drafting of the new disability law with a view to incorporating intersecting gender, diversity and disability perspectives.

204.The Equal Terms (Equiparar) Programme was established with a view to strengthening, from a cross-cutting gender and disability perspective, all public policies and civil society efforts towards guaranteeing equality within the diverse population of women and LGBTI+ persons with disabilities. The programme’s activities include training and awareness-raising with a gender and disability perspective; the production, analysis and dissemination of data on the situation of women and LGBTI+ persons with disabilities; and the promotion of the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 20 (b)

205.The National Directorate for Sexual and Reproductive Health implements strategies to ensure persons with disabilities can exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. Resolution 65/15 of the Ministry of Health establishes the need for recognition of those rights and reinforces the obligation to provide care and health services without unnecessary and unlawful special requirements. Within the health system all persons must be considered as being capable. This means that it is persons with disabilities themselves who give their free consent to the health practices and services that involve them. The health system is required to make reasonable adjustments to enable persons with disabilities to exercise their rights autonomously and to receive health care under the terms that are most accessible and most acceptable to them.

206.Persons with disabilities have the right to use a support system, which means that they can designate one or more persons they trust to help them in making decisions about their health.

207.In addition, the new version of Act No. 26.130 establishes that all persons with disabilities have the right to give their informed consent for interventions, to receive information in accessible formats, to have access to assistance to enable them to give their free consent and to have safeguards adopted to avoid substitute decision-making.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 20 (c)

208.The National Disability Agency has launched a plan to promote independent living for persons with disabilities. This initiative is aimed at promoting the full right to and development of independent living through the Inclusive Health Federal Programme, the main objective of which is to reintegrate people into their communities.

209.In 2023, workshops on sexual and reproductive health and community-based comprehensive sexuality education were held for teams of teachers and administrative staff of the National Disability Agency.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 20 (d)

210.The Gender Policy Unit of the National Disability Agency provides advice and support in situations of gender-based violence. The Unit provides information about reporting and support channels.

211.Work is being done to improve the accessibility of the 144 hotline with a view to eliminating barriers to the access of women and LGBTI+ persons with disabilities to mechanisms for reporting gender-based violence. An accessibility system has also been created for deaf and hearing-impaired persons.

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 20 (e)

212.The State information system for managing and updating the register of positions and contracts held by persons with disability certificates is run by the Secretariat of Public Employment Management. The system tracks the fulfilment by the ministries and decentralized entities covered by Act No. 22.431 of their obligations. Under this Act, the entities must ensure that persons with disabilities comprise at least 4 per cent of their total staff. The register indicates that 44.80 per cent of the persons with disabilities employed in these entities are women.

213.The National Disability Agency and the Ministry are currently developing an inter-agency programme for labour inclusion in the private sector.

214.The Ministry of Labour is pursuing a public policy to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the labour market through the implementation of various programmes (mentioned above) that are compatible with the non-contributory pension for persons with disabilities.

215.The main activities of the Promotion Programme are: (a) training persons with disabilities and integrating them into the workforce; (b) assisting employers in recruiting workers with disabilities and providing financial benefits for hiring or training them; (c) enabling non-profit organizations to offer projects that allow beneficiaries to develop their vocational skills; (d) assisting public agencies at all levels in recruiting workers with disabilities.

216.The target population of the Ministry’s activities has access to other State programmes through the Encouragement Programme.

XIX.Migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking women

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 21

217.The National Migration Department has established a unit for the implementation of migration policies with a gender perspective. Its main objectives are to assist the Department in developing gender-specific cultural public policies for the prevention of all forms of gender-based violence; to provide and empower staff with reliable, clear and accurate information; and to coordinate, together with the Career Development Department, training in this area.

218.Since 2018, there has been an upward trend in the feminization of refugee applications and recognitions under Act No. 26.165 on the recognition and protection of refugees. In accordance with article 53 of that Act, a forum for dialogue between the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity and the National Refugee Commission was formed in 2019 with the objectives of establishing a framework for referrals and care for refugee women and applicants for such status in situations of gender-based violence, preparing outreach materials and training National Refugee Commission staff on the subject.

XX.Lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 22

219.Since the enactment of Act No. 26.743 and Decree No. 476/21, a total of 16,090 procedures have been recorded, of which 55.95 per cent were for women (9,164 procedures) and 6.49 per cent for non-binary persons (1,044 procedures).

220.The Identification Programme was established to contribute to the implementation of Act No. 26.743. It has a team to assist in obtaining and/or amending birth certificates, pre-identification certificates and/or national identity documents for people who wish to have such documents corrected to reflect their self-identified gender identity.

221.To fulfil the quota, the Diana Sacayán-Lohana Berkins Central Register of Transvestite, Transsexual and Transgender Job Seekers was established as a voluntary register. It serves as a digital tool for transvestite, transsexual and/or transgender persons to apply for jobs.

222.An interministerial coordination unit was also established to monitor and strengthen the implementation of the Hiring Quota Act. This unit is charged with developing a plan for the implementation of the hiring quota for transvestite, transsexual and transgender persons, covering diagnoses, processes, stages, procedures, follow-up and monitoring mechanisms, and deadlines for the effective implementation of Act No. 27.636.

223.Under resolution No. 561/2021 of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, mechanisms and deadlines for follow-up of the implementation of the Hiring Quota Act were established, with State agencies to be monitored every 90 days. According to data from the eighth monitoring period, 865 positions are currently occupied by transvestite, transsexual and/or transgender persons, of which 828 are positions in centralized and decentralized agencies of the national executive branch, and 37 were reported by the national legislature. This represents a 22 per cent increase in the number of transvestite, transsexual and/or transgender persons hired compared with the seventh monitoring period.

224.More than 25 per cent of the monitored organizations have increased the number of transvestite, transsexual and/or transgender persons hired to their staff. Furthermore, more than 11 per cent of these organizations already meet or even exceed the 1 per cent quota established as a baseline in the Act.

225.Each province adopts the mechanisms, resources, methodologies, definitions, regulations and procedures within its jurisdiction to prevent extreme violence and offer assistance to people in situations of violence. At the same time, the actions of security forces and the administration of justice vary depending on the practices, methodologies and procedural regulations of each jurisdiction.

226.One of the tasks of the Federal Council to Prevent and Address Femicides, Transvesticides and Transfemicides is therefore to jointly elaborate guidelines for a comprehensive and unified federal policy for preventing, investigating and punishing femicides, transvesticides and transfemicides and providing related assistance and reparations. It has also been tasked with developing standards, management tools, protocols, guidelines and general guiding criteria for action, taking into account the specificities of each location.

XXI.Women in detention

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 23

227.All penitentiary establishments have primary and secondary schools under agreements with local ministries of education. Federal Penitentiary Complex IV for women in Ezeiza also has a university centre managed by the University of Buenos Aires. In total, 96 per cent of women in detention have access to education in prison.

228.Regarding employment, 84.4 per cent of the women in detention in the Federal Prison Service reportedly have a paid job in prison. To promote employment, agreements have been signed to improve the employment workshops provided by the Federal Prison Service. Similarly, agreements have been reached with, among others, the Ministry of Health for the production of kits for the Qunita plan and work clothes for local professionals; with the municipality of Avellaneda for the supply of metal windows for use in the construction of social housing; and with the Council of the Judiciary for the manufacture of national flags for use in various offices and branches of the judiciary.

229.Regarding access to health, the strategic comprehensive health plan for the Federal Prison Service for the period 2021–2023 was approved. The plan provides for: the priority areas of work of the prison health teams; the joint work of the Federal Prison Service and the Ministry of Health, under its programme on health in prison settings, to implement the Ministry’s health policies in prisons; and the building of expertise in health in prison settings as part of the ongoing training of prison health teams.

230.In 2017, a study on the prevalence of HIV, syphilis, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis among people in detention in units of the Federal Prison Service was completed. Every year, hepatitis C micro-elimination days are organized in coordination with the Ministry of Health, with rapid testing campaigns conducted in subdivisions of the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and access to treatment provided for people who test positive.

231.Menstrual health and menstrual management workshops have been held since 2021, during which training has been provided for health-care workers and representatives from all prison wings.

232.The 1,000 Days Plan is aimed at ensuring comprehensive health care and assistance during pregnancy and early childhood. This Plan promotes comprehensive health care and assistance for pregnant persons and children, covering gestation, birth, breastfeeding and child development during the first years of life.

233.The Directorate for Support for Persons Under Electronic Surveillance aims to implement alternative measures to the deprivation of liberty within a rights-based environment and to contribute to crime prevention by fostering interpersonal ties that facilitate social reintegration.

234.By its resolution No. 808/2016, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights approved a protocol for the priority allocation of electronic monitoring devices that ensures preferential allocation to people in particularly vulnerable situations. The following order of priority for allocating monitoring devices has been established: pregnant women; mothers of young children; LGBTI persons; sick people; persons with disabilities; older persons.

235.For the prompt investigation of alleged cases of violence against women in detention, there is an Office of the Special Prosecutor for Institutional Violence within the Prosecution Service whose functions include conducting preliminary investigations and assisting in cases as required. Regarding measures for the detection, investigation and punishment of cases of institutional violence, the Office of the Special Prosecutor provides a telephone hotline for persons detained in federal prisons and their relatives, which is operated by a team trained in offering support and referrals. This tool helps to ensure the human rights of persons in detention and the due investigation and prosecution of acts committed against them.

236.There are numerous independent bodies for monitoring prison services in Argentina, including the Office of the Ombudsperson for the Prison System of Congress, the Prosecutor’s Office for Institutional Violence of the Prosecution Service, the Prison Commission of the National Ombudsperson’s Office and the National Committee for the Prevention of Torture, all of which have unrestricted access to Federal Prison Service establishments, and which handle and follow up on any complaints from persons deprived of their liberty.

237.In addition, the Gender and Sexual Diversity Team of the Federal Prison Service has been active since 2008. Its key objective is to assess the differential impact of prison on certain specific groups. This Team brings added value to the work of the monitoring bodies and it has been recognized as a good practice by international and national organizations. The Office of the Prosecutor submits alternative reports to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, with the intention of providing relevant information on the treatment and prison experiences of women and diverse populations in detention.

238.In addition to the organizational systems that monitor the Federal Prison Service, a programme for receiving complaints regarding prison activities has been created with the aim of establishing adequate and reliable channels of communication with the affected population.

XXII.Marriage and family relations

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 24

239.Assistance in ensuring that parents meet their maintenance obligations to their young and adolescent children, including advice on how to ensure the payment of child support, is provided through the Access to Justice Centres and activities focused on this issue, and referrals are made, as necessary, to the federal network for free legal assistance for further action. In June 2023, the National Directorate for Promoting and Strengthening Access to Justice supported the submission to the National Congress of three binding bills on:

1.Free and universal legal assistance

2.Amendments to the Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure, providing for courts to remove obstacles to access to justice

3.Creation of an assistance fund for child support and its financing. In addition, a good practices guide entitled “Access to child support: the current situation, with recommendations on addressing non-compliance and suggested legal strategies” was published.

XXIII.Additional information

Response to the issues and questions contained in paragraph 25

240.From the Beijing Platform for Action of 1995 to the Buenos Aires Commitment of 2022 to the recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, gender mainstreaming has been defined and upheld at the highest levels of government and implemented at all levels. This involves the allocation and availability of personnel and funds for the implementation of public policies aimed at reducing gender inequality and ensuring the recognition and full exercise of human rights.

241.The Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity was established in 2019 in line with the political commitment to a democratic society without gender hierarchies or violence and, above all, in response to the historical demand that was expressed in the strongest of terms on 3 June 2015.

242.The present report highlights the achievements resulting from and the significance and impact, both direct and indirect, of having a national ministry that coordinates policy against violence and in support of equality. The reduction of femicides and transvesticides across the country by 15 per cent for two consecutive years serves as convincing evidence that the policies towards reducing violence and, thus, creating a fairer society, are working.

243.The rise of the far right and its denialist narratives around the world indicates that the equality measures and policies that we are pursuing, whereby human rights movements are placed in decision-making positions, are genuinely challenging the privileges that are enjoyed by certain persons under the patriarchy and are effectively putting in check real power.

244.The experience of the past four years, strengthened by the record of Argentina of maintaining democracy for 40 years, indicates that this is the right path.