11/09/2025
In her golden years, at 60 years of age, she sparked a riot of dignity.
Today we honor Norma Plá (1932–1996), the Argentine retiree who became a symbol of resistance in the 1990s in Argentina. Often her fiery stance was met with police, the image of her you see she raised a police officer’s cap as a symbol of resistance.
Norma started working at 13 and spent decades cleaning houses, caring for others, and running a small kiosk at night. Like many women, years of unpaid and precarious labor still meant she couldn’t qualify for a pension. 🏛️ When Menem’s government in Argentina slashed benefits and privatized social security, Norma led the “Miércoles de los jubilados” in front of Argentine Congress, facing police repression with eggs, flour, and a megaphone. She exposed how neoliberalism condemned retirees to hunger while enriching the few.
🚨Almost 30 years later, her struggle is alive again. Under Javier Milei’s administration, retirees survive on just $300 a month, far below the cost of living. Week after week, they gather outside Congress, often met with police brutality instead of answers. A young photojournalist almost lost an eye during the demonstration, an example among many injured.
🙋♀Women are hit the hardest: after decades of unpaid care work and interrupted careers, President of Argentina - Milei’s pension reform makes it nearly impossible for many to retire. His vetoes on pension and disability increases have only deepened the crisis. And in the United States, where women earn less over their lifetimes and caregiving still goes unpaid, Latina workers face similar retirement insecurity with many left behind by a system that doesn’t account for their labor and a current administration deporting immigrant caregivers on top of that!
Norma’s example helps us remember that the fight for dignity will never die! ✊
