She is thankful that the movement began to unearth the pain that had embedded into her like a dagger. She has also filed a complaint now, with the judicial authorities. “I thank Thelma and the group of actresses,” said 52 year-old Guebel.
Guebel is now part of a wave of women who have come forward in Argentina with sexual misconduct accusations in what has inevitably been compared to the #MeToo movement in the US and other parts of the world.
The ‘Not One Less’ movement has attracted thousands of supporters. Massive demonstrations are taking place against femicide and violence against women in Argentina, where a bill attempting to legalise abortion was defeated in August.
According to the Associated Press, there is no national registry of victims of sexual abuse in Argentina.
Another poll conducted by the Argentine Management Society of Actors revealed that 66 percent of actresses claim to have been victims of some type of harassment or abuse at work.
In recent weeks, telephone lines that receive reports of gender violence had decreased. The largest daily increase in calls i.e. 123% was recorded on December 12, after Fardin’s news conference.
Tunez, who has helped in managing the phone lines, said she was surprised by calls made by women between 70 and 80 years of age, narrating the stories of childhood abuse.
Women associated with several youth groups and political parties have taken to social media, blogs and press outlets to report sexual aggression that they have faced.
The Senate passed a law requiring the state to provide training to public employees on gender-related topics, and the Senate women’s contingent has warned that women will no longer be silent.
