There are nearly five times more trans people working in government institutions than there were in 2020, before legislation establishing trans labor quotas was implemented, according to a report by the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity. 

The report found that 574 trans people currently hold jobs in government institutions across the country, including the Executive Branch, a 465% increase from 2020 figures. The study focused on trans people and travestis: in Argentina, travesti is a gender identity worn with pride by the community.

The figures are the result of the ministry’s sixth quarterly monitoring of the “Diana Sacayán-Lohana Berkins” Law #27,636, passed in September 2021, which seeks to promote access to formal employment for trans people and travestis. 

“Ever since the law was passed and put into effect, the policy for job quota and inclusion for trans-travesti people has consolidated, and we can see that in the data from the sixth evaluation, where we see positive quantitative results in comparison to the previous report,” said Agustina Ponce, Undersecretary for Diversity Policies.

The official also highlighted that the numbers reflect the Undersecretariat’s efforts to promote the policies across the country, since this is the first time there has been an increase in job hiring and distribution in every jurisdiction of the country. “It’s paramount that we keep strengthening job permanence, through a joint effort by all government areas to tear down the barriers that, either through prejudice or discrimination, are jeopardizing the implementation of this law”, she added. 

There are now trans-travesti people working in the governments of every province as well as Buenos Aires City, although compliance with the law is uneven across the country. Four in ten trans people working in a state job are now outside Buenos Aires City, the report found. 

The Ministry’s official release also mentioned the importance of the “Diana Sacayán – Lohana Berkins” Unified Register for Trans-Travesti Applicants, a tool for reception and management of candidates’ profiles that receives and sends CV requests from government institutions and companies from all sectors, as well as contributing data to the quarterly reports. According to the Ministry, 286 hirings for the 574 jobs – around half – came via the register.