Latin America's Ongoing Battle Against Gender-Based Violence

Executive Summary

The International Bar Association (IBA) explores how Latin American countries are confronting femicide through legislative reform, while emphasizing that legal measures alone cannot eradicate the crisis. Drawing on UN Women and ECLAC data, it notes that the region has some of the world's highest femicide rates, such as 4.6 per 100,000 women in Honduras in 2021. In response, many nations have introduced laws specifically criminalizing femicide. Brazils landmark “Maria de Penha” and its 2015 amendment classify femicide as a heinous crime. Similarly, Colombia, Chile, and Mexico have enacted reforms to define femicide as a distinct offense and provide targeted support to victims' families. Despite these efforts, the progress has remained limited, arguing that with strong legal frameworks and a combination of social and cultural change to address the deeply rooted gender inequalities.

Author(s)

Margaret Taylor
Femicide is a global problem, with around 45,000 womens and girls killed by an intimate partner or other family member in 2021

 

 


 

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