Thousands Of Women Across Argentina Go On Strike

Women across Argentina walked out of their offices yesterday, demanding an end to “machista violence.” The protests were in response to the death of Lucia Perez, a 16-year-old girl who died from being violently raped. (Warning: BBC’s coverage of the events include graphic descriptions of sexual violence that we won’t even share here.) Perez’s gruesome murder rightfully outraged women in a country where, on average, one woman is killed from domestic violence every 36 hours. Calling the day “Miercoles Negro” or Black Wednesday, women and activists wore all-black, organized strikes across industries in Argentina and held a march in Buenos Aires. Earlier this year, Argentina’s President Mauricio Macri promised to tackle violence against women and create a network for women refugees. However, those new measures will not begin until next year.