Expressing concern over the death of Miriam Flores, a migrant worker from Paraguay, Amnesty International Argentina (AIA) announced in a press release its continued support of the enforcement of Law 26.485, and demanded that President Christina Fernández “assume as a priority the situation of violence against women” in Argentina.

“We have a law that protects women from being victims of violence, and each day it’s delayed means thousands of lives are at risk. It’s urgent that the law is enforced and that women’s voices are heard,” says interim executive director of AIA Gabriela Boada.

There are no exhaustive statistics on the magnitude and characteristics of violence against women in Argentina, according to the press release. However, the organization cites a study by Casa del Encuentro, which reports 231 homicides of girls and women in 2009, an increase of 11 percent over 2008.

Law 26.485 was approved at the end of 2009 by a wide majority but has yet to be regulated. The law aims to “prevent, sanction, and eradicate violence against women in the places where they cultivate interpersonal relationships.”

AIA would like to see women’s rights occupy a larger place in the political agenda, pointing out that the law must be provided an adequate budget for swift implementation, and calling for “judicial authorities to do everything in their power to investigate and prosecute those responsible for violence against women”.

Furthermore, AIA demands that “state authorities show political leadership in putting an end to violence against women and that the fight for gender equality is reflected in government policy.”

“It’s crucial that we address, at every level, this societal shortcoming in the treatment of women. We hope authorities will take clear and effective action to confront gender violence,” says Boada.

Yesterday the Superior Court of Chubut unanimously endorsed the request for a 15-year-old victim of rape from Comodoro Rivadavia to terminate her pregnancy. The ruling reversed the decision of Appellate Court that refused the request in February. Symbolically, yesterday was International Women’s Day.

It is claimed that the young girl was raped by her stepfather. The ruling is the first time that a provincial court has applied the broad interpretation of the abortion law in Argentina. The law states that a pregnancy can be terminated if the life or health of a pregnant woman is at risk and if the pregnancy was the result of rape or the sexual abuse of a woman with mental disabilities. This ruling reaffirms the interpretation of the law that any woman with a pregnancy resulting from rape has the right to a termination and not just those with a mental disability, as claimed by some conservative groups in Argentina.

The law states that a doctor does not have to seek judicial approval to carry out an abortion in Argentina if they believe the pregnancy is the result of a rape, the woman is mentally disabled or is there is a risk to the woman’s life or health. However, Amnesty International claims that doctors do not know how to act so refer cases to the courts. This causes a delay and in some cases mean that a decision is reached too late in the pregnancy for a termination to be carried out.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch made a joint statement yesterday concerning a number of pregnancy cases in Argentina resulting from a rape, “It wasn’t necessary for any of these cases to go to court: the law clearly allows doctors to assess the potential threat to the psychological and physical health of a rape patient and perform an abortion without fear of prosecution.”

When the original request for a termination was denied in February, the Bishop of the Diocese of Comodoro Rivadavia, Virginio Bressanelli said that the Church “does not engage in polemics” but, added that “We are talking about applying the law to a human life and a person. That is the value we want to defend.”

The mother of the young girl from Comodoro Rivadavia commented that the ruling “was excellent”. She had pursued authorisation for an abortion in a public hospital, not privately, because they need to safeguard genetic material in order to pursue the rape case in the courts.

Marianne Mollmann of Human Rights Watch and Guadalupe Marengo of Amnesty International said “Today, on International Women’s Day, we urge the Argentine authorities to commit themselves unequivocally to ensuring the right of women to decide freely and responsibly on issues of their sexual and reproductive health.”