Argentina marks 20 years of Comprehensive Sexual Education Law

Argentina is marking the 20th anniversary of the enactment of Law 26.150, which established Comprehensive Sexual Education (ESI) as a mandatory right from initial levels through teacher training.

Supporters highlight the law's role in promoting gender equity, preventing early pregnancy, and providing students with tools for bodily autonomy and health. However, the implementation of these rights faces ongoing challenges. Critics and conservative sectors have historically opposed efforts to make the law a matter of national public order.

Recent political shifts under President Javier Milei have introduced new tensions. Reports indicate efforts to defund ESI programs and attempts to replace existing pedagogical content with “emotional education,” sparking debate over the preservation of gender perspective and reproductive rights in the national curriculum.