Argentina families advocate for new gender violence prevention laws

In Argentina, families of victims of gender-based violence are pushing for new legislative measures to address systemic failures in protecting children and adolescents.

Mónica Cunchilla, mother of Iara Rueda, is advocating for the visibility of ‘Ley Iara’—a gender violence emergency law—during the Fiesta Nacional de los Estudiantes (FNE) in Jujuy. The initiative seeks to implement training in schools regarding various forms of violence, including psychological, symbolic, and economic abuse, to ensure early detection and prevention.

Simultaneously, legal representatives for the family of Agostina Vega are promoting the ‘Ley Agostina’. This proposed project aims to rectify institutional gaps that failed to detect warning signs in the case of 14-year-old Agostina, who was murdered by Claudio Barrelier. Unlike previous laws that address specific issues, the ‘Ley Agostina’ seeks to consolidate prevention, early detection, protection, and monitoring of minors at risk into a single comprehensive legal framework.