Argentina
Argentina: Campaign - Men Fighting 'Machismo'
BUENOS AIRES, Nov 10, 2011 (IPS) - An original campaign led by men is getting thousands of men in Argentina to reflect on the abuse of power and commit themselves to helping eradicate violence against women.
The campaign is called "260 men against machismo", in allusion to the number of "femicides" – a term coined for gender-related murders – committed in this country in 2010, according to statistics compiled from news reports.
The idea is to recruit well-known figures from different spheres, like politics, art, show business, the labour movement, the armed forces and religion, to get publicly involved in the campaign and urge men in their areas or their communities to discuss these issues and sign a commitment against violence.
Historic Vote Makes Argentina First Latin American Country To Grant Gays, Lesbians Equal Rights To Matrimony
(AP) Argentina legalized same-sex marriage Thursday, becoming the first country in Latin America give gays and lesbians all the legal rights that marriage brings to heterosexual couples.
After a marathon debate that lasted more than 16 hours, the vote was 33 in favor, 27 against and 3 abstentions in Argentina's Senate. Since the lower house already approved the bill and President Cristina Fernandez is a strong supporter, it now becomes the law of the land.
The bill passed despite a concerted campaign by the Roman Catholic Church and evangelical groups, which drew 60,000 people to a march on Congress earlier this week.