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STORY: Abortion access and women's rights are now in the spotlight of Argentina's presidential election race.

The election frontrunner, Javier Milei, opposes abortion.

He wants to hold a referendum on whether the 2020 legalization of abortion before the 14th week of pregnancy should be repealed.

He also wants to shut the ministry of women, gender and diversity, which he has called a type of "affirmative action" that is degrading towards women.

Milei's stance has caused fears among feminists of a risk of backtracking on gains in women's rights in recent years.

But it has helped him win votes among young Argentine men who feel disenfranchised...

...as well as conservative female voters.

Valentina Brites is an 18-year-old student, who supports Milei.

"Javier (Milei) does not hate women. What Javier proposes is equality on the basis of the law. When I attend law classes, I realise that the laws are there. The laws are there to protect us and that there is no need for a Ministry or something to represent us because the laws already represent us.”

Milei's critics accuse him of ignoring the existence of gender violence and discrimination in Argentina.

Last year a woman was murdered every 35 hours. Women earn 27% less than men.

Women, like feminist activist Nelly Borquez, marched in Buenos Aires late September to mark International Safe Abortion Day.

Many wore green and waved green handkerchiefs, an echo of earlier protests that contributed to the 2020 law change on abortion.

"Milei is someone who is another example of a patriarchy that wants to push back our rights. But he's going to find us back on the streets."

Ayelen Mazzina, the country's women's minister said she had invited Milei to the ministry to learn about its work.

But he had declined.

"He (Javier Milei) doesn't want Ministry of Women because he doesn't believe in equality, he doesn't believe in social justice and he doesn't believe that gender violence exists."

One of Milei's closest contenders is Patricia Bullrich, who is the most high-profile female candidate.

She would leave abortion laws unchanged, though also close the women's ministry.

She said she would prioritize fighting femicide, narrowing the wage-gap and improving women's healthcare.

Silvia Lospennato, who is leading Bullrich's gender policy said Bullrich offered a middle ground between what she saw as Milei's anti-feminist stance and the government's overly bureaucratic model.

Argentina has led the region in progressive policies on gender equality and LGBT rights for years.

In 1991, it was the first Latin American country to implement a gender-quota law in politics. It legalized same-sex marriage in 2010.