Earlier this week President Mauricio Macri presented a national programme to combat gender violence in Argentina. The ‘National Action Plan for the Prevention, Support, and Erradication of Violence Against Women (2017-2019)‘ includes a series of detailed and concrete measures and actions to protest and support women at risk of – or suffering from – gender violence. According to the National Women’s Council, the plan will allow better enforcement of existing laws against gender violence, and “start paying off a debt that thousands of women have been carrying all their lives.”A ‘femicide’ occurs every 30 hours in Argentina, according to data presented in the plan, with more than 2,000 fatal victims of gender violence registered between 2008-2015. The 150-page plan is based on two fundamental pillars: prevention, via educational programmes to change cultural patterns that permit violence against women, and support, through more effective systems and networks. A new phone app will allow women to immediately request emergency help without having to make a phone call.

Source: The Argentina Independent July 28, 2016 17:48 UTC