Alberto Fernández: “With the legalization of abortion, the state protects the lives of women” | The President participated virtually in the Generation Equality Forum in Paris

Until the last moment, Alberto Fernández wanted to be present this Wednesday in Paris, where the president Emmanuel Macron had invited him the last time you were in France will be exhibited at the Generation Equality Forum in recognition of having approved the law on voluntary termination of pregnancy in Argentina (IVE). But on Monday, the president sent a letter to his French counterpart to tell him that he apologized and regretted not being able to travel due to the difficult situation Argentina is going through in terms of coronavirus and in honor. of the “effort” that the Argentinian people make not to get it. But Fernández made his contribution virtually. “I am proud to say that with the sanction of the law on the legalization of abortion, the State Argentine assumed responsibility for legislate and protect with public policies, women’s health and life and people with other gender identities with the capacity to procreate, ”said the president and listed the policies his government is pursuing to try to reduce the differences between men and women.

“This law will assure us that never again in our country will a woman or person with the capacity to bear a child endanger her life or health in an illegal abortion, and it will also mean a huge cultural transformation, in terms of autonomy, “he says. Fernandez.

Concerning the future, the first president assured that “it is necessary to adopt strong public policies aimed at eradicating models of structural inequality“, And called” to reorganize the social life of our peoples with a view to more just and egalitarian human relations, without oppression or discrimination of class, nationality, ethnicity or sex. “

The Head of State participated virtually from the Olivos residence, in the forum which also included the Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel; the presidents of France, Emmanuel Macron, and of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador; the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau; US Vice President Kamala Harris; former Secretary of State for that country, Hillary Clinton, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

“Those of us who have the responsibility to govern must take charge of these demands; the pain of people who are deprived of their rights and who suffer discrimination must challenge us ”, declared the president. during the event which aims to launch concrete actions to achieve immediate and irreversible progress towards gender equality.

During his presentation, the President was accompanied by Minister Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta and highlighted the measures he has promoted since the start of his government in December 2019. Among them, detailed fair the creation of the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity of the nation ; the sanction of the law of legalization of abortion, which aims to ensure that never again will a woman or person with the capacity to bear a child endanger her life or health through an illegal abortion; Yes the transformation into law of the Comprehensive Plan of Care and Attention during Pregnancy and Early Childhood, among other measures.

In addition, he announced that “the Argentine State has decided to integrate and co-lead the Global Care Alliance with the Government of Mexico, to promote comprehensive care systems and thus build truly more inclusive and less unequal societies. “.

The event was convened by UN Women and organized by the governments of Mexico and France in collaboration with civil society and youth entities. It started in Mexico City, in March, and will end in Paris, with an event that will run from this Wednesday through Friday, July 2.

The President spoke during the panel entitled “Guaranteeing sexual and reproductive health and rights”, with his French counterpart; the founder of the All-Poland Women’s Strike movement, Klementyna Suchanow; and the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Natalia Kanem.

The international meeting commemorates the 25th anniversary of the 4th World Conference on Women held in September 1995 in Beijing, where, with the participation of 189 country representatives and more than 30,000 activists from around the world, the Declaration and the Platform were proclaimed. Action, considered by the UN to be “the most progressive plan that has ever existed to promote women’s rights.”

The Argentinian head of state regretted that there are still “solid nuclei of exclusion and inequality” and declared that they particularly affect “women in poverty, migrants, indigenous women and women. people discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender expression ”. He stressed that this situation “has worsened in the context of the current health crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic”.

UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen; the President of the European Council, Charles Michel; the founder of the Little Dreamers Foundation in Zimbabwe, Shantel Marekera, and the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege, among many civil society figures, as well as the Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin ; the President of Georgia, Salomé Zourabichvli; and the Presidents of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, and of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Macron decided to invite Fernández to the Forum in recognition of the sanction of the law on legal abortion. In fact, on this trip he invited her and gave the president the book “Una Vida”, from political leader Simone Veil, a gift that the Head of State accompanied with a special dedication to recognize the Argentine government for having kept its promise to sanction the legalization of abortion. “For my friend Alberto, who kept his word grant Argentines the right to abortion, obtaining a historic vote on 12/30/2020. Congratulations. A hug, ”Macron wrote in the dedication of the book, which was given to Fernández as part of the gifts the two exchanged during the meeting held at the Elíseo Palace.

Veil, a Holocaust survivor, was the first French health minister to legalize abortion.