Edgardo Aló advocates against femicide laws in Argentina following the murder of his daughter Carolina in 1996. His campaign led to the legal recognition of femicide in 2012. However, recent government plans threaten to dismantle these protections, raising concerns about the safety and rights of women in Argentina. Campaigners warn such changes may worsen the situation for victims of gender violence.
The tragic story of Carolina Aló, who was brutally stabbed 113 times by her boyfriend before her 18th birthday, has propelled her father, Edgardo, into a relentless campaign for justice and change in Argentina’s femicide laws. Following her death in 1996, Edgardo fought tirelessly against the lenient penalties pertaining to gender violence, leading to the legal recognition of femicide as an aggravating factor in homicide cases in 2012, after decades of advocacy supported by women’s movements and human rights organizations.
However, recent developments under the administration of President Javier Milei pose a significant threat to these hard-fought legal protections. The Minister of Justice, Mariano Cúneo Libarona, has indicated plans to remove femicide’s definition from the penal code, asserting that it distorts the principle of equality. Critics argue that this shift is part of a broader agenda to undermine women’s rights in Argentina, as the government seeks to prioritize equality before the law.
In the wake of alarming rates of violence against women in Argentina, the issue of femicide—a gender-based killing of women—has gained considerable attention. Legal reform initiatives, led by advocates like Edgardo Aló after the murder of his daughter Carolina, sought to establish specific penalties for femicide to reflect its unique societal context. The recognition of femicide as a distinct charge aimed to address the severe threat that gender-based violence poses, particularly in domestic settings, where women are often attacked by intimate partners. Despite these advancements, the current political climate under President Milei raises serious concerns about potential regressions in legal protections established over the last decade.
The fight against femicide is far from over in Argentina, as the recent threats to dismantle legal recognitions of femicide bring Edgardo Aló’s long-standing battle full circle. With statistics indicating that femicide continues to plague the nation, the rollbacks proposed by President Milei’s government not only undermine the progress achieved through years of advocacy but also pose a dire risk to the safety of women across the country. As advocates and families affected by femicide mourn these potential losses, the need for continued vigilance and activism remains crucial.
Original Source: edition.cnn.com
