{"id":2217,"date":"2011-11-06T18:00:40","date_gmt":"2011-11-07T01:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/humanium.org\/en\/?page_id=2217"},"modified":"2025-12-06T06:14:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-06T06:14:30","slug":"argentina","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/argentina\/","title":{"rendered":"Children of Argentina"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Realizing Child Rights in Argentina<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086668771.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086668771.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086668771-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1103906273.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44068\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1103906273.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1103906273-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Children in Argentina are often able to enjoy fulfilment of their rights. Children are nonetheless vulnerable to serious risks which continue to undermine their rights, including poverty, child labour, exploitation and discrimination.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d26083836.754593752!2d-81.63270780954898!3d-37.05600320152319!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x95bccaf5f5fdc667%3A0x3d2f77992af00fa8!2sArgentina!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sin!4v1624093400505!5m2!1sen!2sin\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" style=\"border:0;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Population:<\/strong> 45.1 million<br><strong>Pop. ages 0-14:<\/strong> 24%<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Life expectancy:<\/strong> 77 years<br><strong>Under-5 mortality rate:<\/strong>&nbsp;9\u2030<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Argentina at a glance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Argentina is a very large country located at the southern-most peninsula of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/americas\/\">South American<\/a> continent. Its capital city is Buenos Aires. Argentina was originally populated by several distinct indigenous groups. The Incas had made inroads into the highlands of the Northwest, whilst other indigenous groups were largely nomadic hunters and fishers, such as those in the Chaco, the Tehuelche of Patagonia, and the Querand\u00ed and Puelche (Guennakin) of the Pampas. <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44102\" style=\"width:344px;height:229px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1086639479-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>The Mapuche Indians, a warrior tribe based at the very bottom of Patagonia in both Argentina and Chile, were the only Indian tribe never conquered by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/spain\/\">Spanish<\/a>. The Argentina of today took shape only after repeated brutal attempts at colonisation by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/spain\/\">Spanish<\/a>, with much <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-kingdom\/\">British<\/a> interference, accompanied by internal movements of resistance. Argentina was subjected to periods of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/europe-caucasus\/\">European<\/a> colonisation for around 300 years, from 1524 to 1816 which has contributed to some of the challenges its society continues to face today (Frommer, n.d.; Galleano, 1971).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During Argentina\u2019s \u2018Dirty War\u2019 from 1973 to 1983, up to 30,000 people were forcibly disappeared&nbsp; or killed due to state terrorism and right-wing death squads which hunted down anybody associated with socialism, from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-in-war\/\">military dictatorship<\/a> (or junta) which was supported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-states-of-america\/\">USA<\/a> during a long period of political and economic instability. In its recent history, Argentina has experienced continued periods of internal political <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-in-war\/\">conflict<\/a> and has been subject to autocratic governments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, the country experienced the most severe social and economic crisis of its history in 2001, with the nation\u2019s economy collapsing entirely the following year. Although Argentina\u2019s economy recovered relatively swiftly, becoming one of the largest in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/americas\/\">Latin America<\/a>, the country continues to suffer from long-term effects of the crisis (SOS Children\u2019s Villages). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/childrens-rights\/\">Child rights<\/a> in Argentina thus unfold in a complex and difficult context post-colonialism, the climate emergency and the neoliberal international order.<a href=\"#_ftn1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Status of children\u2019s rights<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Argentina ratified the United Nations <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/convention\/text\/\">Convention on the Rights of the Child<\/a> (CRC) in 1990, and since 1994, it has integrated the CRC into its national constitution.&nbsp;Argentina has also ratified the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/protocol-child-sale\/\">Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography <\/a>and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/protocol-child-soldier\/\">Optional Protocol to the CRC on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict<\/a>. Argentina has forbidden the enrolment of children younger than eighteen in armed conflicts, according to a statement included as a declaration at the time of ratification of the second Protocol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite these crucial steps towards strengthening the nation\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/convention\/\">child rights legal framework<\/a>, meaningful legislative reform on a national level that would enshrine the commitments made in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/convention\/text\/\">CRC<\/a> for the protection of child rights, took time to implement (International Library of Congress, 2020). Furthermore, Argentina had yet to ratify the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/focus-on\/environment\/environmental-rights\/\">Escaz\u00fa Agreement<\/a> on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/focus-on\/environment\/\">Environmental Matters<\/a> in Latin America and the Caribbean, which it had signed in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"710\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-1024x710.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44080\" style=\"width:393px;height:263px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-1024x710.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-300x208.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-768x532.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-1536x1065.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-2048x1419.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-830x575.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-230x159.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-350x243.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1336014383-480x333.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Following years of advocacy, in 2005 Argentina enacted a national Law for the Integral Protection of Children and Adolescents (Law 26061).&nbsp;Its purpose is the protection of children and adolescents, in order to guarantee the full exercise and enjoyment of their rights which are granted under Argentina\u2019s legal system as well as under international treaties to which the country is party. These rights cover health, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a>, leisure and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/displaced-children\/\">culture<\/a>. Law 26061 lays the basis for a juvenile justice system and calls for institutionalised children to be integrated back into Argentinian society.&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each province will create mechanisms to protect children from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/abuse\/\">abuse<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/exploitation\/\">exploitation<\/a>. The law also established a set of public policies that consider girls, boys, and adolescents as subjects with their own rights. This is the first comprehensive statute for the protection of children in the country, with a clear definition of the responsibilities of the family, society, and the government with regard to the universal rights of the children as provided under the CRC (International Library of Congress, 2020).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Addressing the needs of children<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">Right to education<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Argentina has done much to ensure children\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">right to education<\/a>. School enrolment for both primary and secondary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> has increased in Argentina, primary education is almost universal and rates are very high with 100% literacy amongst 15 to 24 year olds (UNICEF, n.d.). Moreover, the country has launched \u201cPlan Familia\u201d; a nation-wide programme aimed at assisting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poor<\/a> families so that their children can attend school and receive primary health care.&nbsp;The project aims to eventually reach 500,000 families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In compliance with the commitments under the CRC, Law 26061 regulates the right of the children to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> as a fundamental human right. The law stipulates the right of children to a free public education and for them to reach their full development as human beings and as citizens. This right to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> must be exercised whilst respecting the children\u2019s creativity, culture, and language of origin. The law also enshrines children\u2019s right to access, and to permanently attend, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">educational<\/a> facility close to their place of residence. In case a child is missing their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/identity\/\">identification<\/a> documents, the child should be provisionally registered in the educational institution. The right of children and adolescents with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/disabled-children\/\">special needs<\/a> or with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/disabled-children\/\">disabilities<\/a> to a comprehensive education is further provided for. Public education is free at all levels, including education for children with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/disabled-children\/\">special needs<\/a> (International Library of Congress 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, Argentina is located, along with Brazil, amongst the countries in the region with the longest period of compulsory schooling. With the amendment to the National Education Law in 2014, it is established that compulsory schooling amounts to 14 years of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a>: from 4 years old to completion of secondary level at 18 years old. School enrolment levels are high, with 99% attendance at primary school level and 76% attendance at secondary school. Primary school completion levels are also high at 92%, helping to ensure Argentinian children\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">right to education<\/a> (UNICEF, 2016; UNICEF, n.d.). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is, however, still limited access to education for many children, whilst drop-out and repetition rates are high at secondary school level.&nbsp;Due to a national reduction in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> spending, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poorer children<\/a> in Argentina have reportedly been affected by reduced access to schooling. For example, indigenous children, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/displaced-children\/\">displaced children<\/a> and those from children from marginalised urban and rural areas have their access to education disproportionately hampered (International Library of Congress 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Right to non-discrimination<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Many children\u2019s right to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/discrimination\/\">non-discrimination<\/a> is under serious threat in Argentina. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/discrimination\/\">Discrimination<\/a> against indigenous peoples and forcibly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/displaced-children\/\">displaced<\/a> people continues to be a serious problem, whilst issues of racism, xenophobia and sexism often prevent many children\u2019s rights from being fully respected.<strong> <\/strong>Amnesty International has reported that although the Argentinian Constitution recognises indigenous communities\u2019 right to their ancestral lands and natural resources, the majority of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/discrimination\/\">indigenous<\/a> communities still lack legal recognition of their territorial rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201c<em>Thirteen years after it was approved, the Territorial Emergency Law (N\u00b026.160) had still not been fully implemented<\/em>.\u201d  <\/p>\n<cite>&#8211; Amnesty International, 2019<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The law suspended evictions of indigenous peoples from their land pending a survey of all indigenous territories, however, by the end of 2019 a survey had only been initiated in 38% of indigenous communities. In the province of Jujuy, projects for potential lithium extraction were initiated on the lands of indigenous peoples without securing the free, prior and informed consent of affected indigenous communities. Indeed, in the Salinas Grandes Salt flats licences for lithium exploration were granted without proper consultation with affected indigenous communities who continued to demand information about the mining\u2019s potential impacts on their water sources (Amnesty International, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In relation to forcibly displaced people, the government adopted a set of regressive measures, through regulations and practices, that restrict the rights of migrants and facilitate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/discrimination\/\">discrimination<\/a> and xenophobia. Despite having been deemed unconstitutional and widely criticised by human rights mechanisms, Executive Order 70\/2017 modified the Migration Act. As a result of this, migrants were increasingly deported without first being afforded them procedural guarantees and in violation of migrants\u2019 rights to family unity and the best interest of the child. Indeed, Vanessa G\u00f3mez Cueva, a Peruvian mother of three, was deported from Argentina with her two-year-old child and forced to leave her other two children behind. Only after seven months outside of the country did she receive permission to return (Amnesty International, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On a positive note, in 2010 Argentina became the first Latin American country to decriminalise <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/lgbtq-children\/\">same-sex marriage<\/a>. The Civil Marriage Law allows same-sex couples to enter civil marriages and affords them the same marital protections as different-sex couples. More than 20,000 s<a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/lgbtq-children\/\">ame-sex couples<\/a> have married in the country since the law\u2019s introduction. Furthermore, Argentina passed a Gender Identity Law in 2012, enshrining the respect of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/identity\/\">self-identification<\/a> and allowing anybody to change their gender and name in their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/identity\/\">identity<\/a> card and birth certificate through a simple administrative procedure. This went some way towards protecting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/lgbtq-children\/\">transgender people\u2019s rights<\/a> and children\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/identity\/\">right to identity<\/a>, and in 2020 President Alberto Fern\u00e1ndez issued a decree establishing that at least one percent of employees in the federal government should be transgender people (Human Rights Watch 2021).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Right to life<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44081\" style=\"width:404px;height:267px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1066800692-1-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Since 1990, there has been a significant decrease in infant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/life\/\">mortality<\/a> in Argentina, including neonatal and post-neonatal mortality, which has gone a long way to fulfilling children\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/life\/\">right to life<\/a>. The Argentinian provinces of Corrientes, Formosa, La Rioja, Tucum\u00e1n, Chaco, Salta, San Juan, San Luis and Santiago del Estero have infant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/life\/\">mortality<\/a> rates which are above the national average, and more than 50% of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/life\/\">deaths<\/a> could be prevented with adequate clinical or surgical treatment. In Argentina, the mortality rate in adolescents aged 10 to 19 is 5.4 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/life\/\">deaths<\/a> per 10,000 adolescents, with 60% of adolescent deaths being due to external causes, amongst which traffic accidents (associated with risky behaviours such as the consumption of alcohol and other substances), suicides and assaults stand out (UNICEF, 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/world\/right-to-health\/\">Right to health<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Argentina has universal implicit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">health<\/a> coverage provided by the public health system. Between 2001 and 2010, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">health<\/a> insurance coverage increased throughout the national territory. However, in some provinces less than 40% of those under 18 years of age have coverage (Chaco, Formosa, Santiago del Estero), while in others the coverage exceeds 80% (Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego). The variation derives from the high degree of decentralisation of the public sector and the notorious development gaps between the provinces in relation to proximity to care centres and institutional capacity (UNICEF, 2016). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is also significant <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">protection<\/a> for newborn\u2019s right to health; UNICEF report that 100% of births in Argentina are attended by a skilled health professional and that almost all pregnant women have at least four appointments with a healthcare specialist before giving birth. Nonetheless, adolescent pregnancies are not uncommon (UNICEF, n.d.).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Risk factors \u2192 Country-specific challenges<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Child poverty<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-44078\" style=\"width:377px;height:251px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/shutterstock_1499259581-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Although recent years have seen consistent economic growth as well as diminished <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poverty<\/a> and unemployment rates in Argentina, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poverty<\/a> remains a widespread problem with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">child poverty<\/a> affecting the majority of children who live in the nation, and presenting a serious threat to the fulfilment of their rights. In Argentina, 7% of the population lives on less than US$1 a day (International Library of Congress, 2020). UNICEF estimates that Covid-19 will increase Argentina\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">poor children <\/a>by over 7 million, with 400,000 children predicted to fall into extreme poverty, meaning their basic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/food\/\">food needs<\/a> will not be covered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the end of 2020 the organisation reported that 59% of children in Argentina would be living in poverty, including over 2 million <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">children in extreme poverty<\/a>, whilst emphasising that \u201c<em>the differences between child poverty and extreme child poverty [\u2026] are particularly marked when taking into account the employment situation of the parents, education level, and immigration status<\/em>\u201d, demonstrating the important intersection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">child povert<\/a>y with other questions of marginalisation and inequality (UNICEF Argentina, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gender and reproductive rights<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In December 2020, Argentina became the largest country in South America to decriminalise abortion completely during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and, after that period, to allow termination of pregnancies in specific circumstances. Nonetheless, Human Rights Watch reported that doctors and local health authorities often impose arbitrary and unlawful barriers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/girls-rights\/\">women<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/girls-rights\/\">girls<\/a> seeking abortions under the exceptions allowed by law. These include when their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/life\/\">life or health<\/a> is at risk or because they have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">victims of rape<\/a>&nbsp; (Human Rights Watch, 2021). Due to the law\u2019s recent adoption the long-term effects of this landmark legislative change remain to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite a 2009 law detailing comprehensive measures to prevent and prosecute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/abuse\/\">violence<\/a> against women, The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/girls-rights\/\">killing of women and girls<\/a> with impunity in Argentina remains a serious concern. In 2019 alone, the National Registry of Femicides reported 268 femicides (the murder of women based on their gender) but only 7 convictions. During the Covid-19 lockdown, reports of domestic and sexual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/abuse\/\">violence<\/a> to a government hotline increased by 24% between April and June compared to the same period the previous year (Human Rights Watch, 2021).<strong><em><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Child labour <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Argentina has ratified all the international instruments related to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">child labour<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/exploitation\/\">exploitation<\/a>, such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the Inter-American Convention on International Trafficking of Minors. Argentina also ratified ILO Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, as well as the ILO Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite such legislative progress, child labour has increased in Argentina, in large part due to the economic situation and the prevalence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/poverty\/\">child poverty<\/a>. A growing number of children under 14 years of age are subject to economic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/exploitation\/\">exploitation<\/a> and fall into <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">child labour<\/a>. Child labour is a particularly serious problem in rural areas of the country.&nbsp;It is also reported that there is a lack of data and information available on the scale of the nation\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-labour\/\">child labour<\/a>&nbsp;problem (International Library of Congress 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Child sexual exploitation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-prostitution\/\">Child prostitution<\/a> is increasing in Argentina, particularly in large cities. Although the National Plan of Action to Combat Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children has been in place since 2000, coordinated policies and programs on this issue have yet to be fully funded and have not effectively stemmed the rise of child <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-prostitution\/\">sexual<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/exploitation\/\">exploitation<\/a>.&nbsp;Sale of children, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-prostitution\/\">child prostitution<\/a>, and child pornography are criminalised. Whilst Argentina\u2019s Criminal Code criminalises the prostitution of minors of 18 years of age or younger, it only sanctions those who \u201cpromote or facilitate\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/sexual-abuse-children\/\">prostitution<\/a>, and fails to penalise the client who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/exploitation\/\">exploits<\/a> and assaults the minor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The provisions penalising child pornography are insufficient and fail to comply with international legal standards, according to the International Library of Congress. Possession, import, export, sale, offer of, or virtual distribution of child pornographic material is not penalised under the national legal framework (International Library of Congress 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Written by Josephine Thum<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Last updated on 1 April 2021<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>References:<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amnesty.org\/en\/countries\/americas\/argentina\/report-argentina\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (2019) <em>Argentina 2019 <\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.frommers.com\/destinations\/argentina\/in-depth\/history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FROMMER (n.d.) <em>History of Argentina<\/em><\/a><em>      <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books?id=CWYiDgAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=las+venas+abiertas+de+america+latina&amp;hl=es&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiC6pmImNzvAhWDwuYKHVVyDjoQ6AEwAHoECAAQAg#v=onepage&amp;q=las%2520venas%2520abiertas%2520de%2520america%2520latina&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GALLEANO, Eduardo (1971) <em>Las venas abiertas de Am\u00e9rica Latina<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/world-report\/2021\/country-chapters\/argentina#c007ac\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (2021) \u2018Argentina &#8211; Events of 2020\u2019 in <em>2021 World Report<\/em><\/a><em> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.loc.gov\/law\/help\/child-rights\/pdfs\/Children's%2520Rights-Argentina.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF CONGRESS (2020) \u2018Argentina Children\u2019s Rights: International and National Law and Legal Practices\u2019 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sos-childrensvillages.org\/where-we-help\/americas\/argentina\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SOS Children\u2019s Villages (2020) \u2018General Information on Argentina<\/a>\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/argentina\/media\/8996\/file\/Child%2520Poverty%2520and%2520COVID19%2520in%2520Argentina.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNICEF Argentina (2020) <em>Child Poverty and Inequality in Argentina. Covid-19 Effects. <\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unicef.org\/argentina\/media\/2211\/file\/SITAN.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNICEF (2016) <em>Estado de la situaci\u00f3n de la ni\u00f1ez y la adolescencia en Argentina <\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/data.unicef.org\/country\/arg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UNICEF (n.d.) <em>Argentina, Key demographic indicators<\/em><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"#_ftnref1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a> This article by no means purports to give a full or representative account of children\u2019s rights in Argentina, which are vast, complex and constantly changing. The article aims to highlight principal challenges to child rights in Argentina and is not representative of the country\u2019s rights history, innovations or achievements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Realizing Child Rights in Argentina Children in Argentina are often able to enjoy fulfilment of their rights. Children are nonetheless vulnerable to serious risks which continue to undermine their rights, including poverty, child labour, exploitation and discrimination. Population: 45.1 millionPop. ages 0-14: 24% Life expectancy: 77 yearsUnder-5 mortality rate:&nbsp;9\u2030 Argentina at a glance Argentina is [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2217","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Children of Argentina - Humanium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Economic globalization has driven a wedge between the rich and poor. 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