”The Casa Rosada (presidential palace) tells us we should do our work, and that’s what we’re doing,” María José Lubertino told La Nación newspaper. ”When I took this job, everyone knew that two of my priorities were the legislation on abortion and marriage for everyone. This is no surprise.”

The draft bill — unveiled at a gathering of activists, legislators and others in the Senate’s Eva Perón Hall — moves next to the Ministry of Justice, Security and Human Rights, which will arrange for it to be formally introduced into Congress by the executive branch.

If allowed to marry, same-sex couples would acquire new rights in areas such as adoption, inheritance, property, social security and pensions.