Stereotypes, discriminatory practices and violence against women

17. The Committee notes initiatives by the State party to combat gender stereotypes and violence against women, but remains concerned about the:

(c) Fact, as identified by the State party in its report and during the dialogue, that some groups of women, such as women living in poverty, women belonging to indigenous or Afro-Peruvian communities and women with disabilities, in addition to being affected by gender stereotypes, face multiple forms of discrimination and violence, including on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity …

18. The Committee urges the State party to adopt, as a matter of urgency, a comprehensive law to combat violence against women that prevents violence, protects victims, prosecutes and punishes perpetrators and includes reparations, sanctions and access to effective justice and to increase available mechanisms of protection and service provision to victims, taking an intercultural approach. It reiterates its recommendation (ibid., para. 19) that the State party should design and implement a comprehensive strategy to combat discriminatory gender-based stereotypes, with a view to combating violence against women. It also recommends that the State party:

(a) Intensify awareness-raising programmes and education campaigns to support equality of women and men at all levels of society, modify stereotypical attitudes, eliminate discrimination against women on such grounds as poverty, indigenous origin or ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation or gender identity, thereby removing obstacles to the full exercise of the right to equality in accordance with the National Plan for Gender Equality, and adopt a policy of zero tolerance towards all forms of violence against women;

Disadvantaged groups of women

39. The Committee regrets the lack of specific information on the measures to address the discrimination and violence faced by disadvantaged groups of women, such as women living in economic duress, indigenous and Afro-Peruvian women, migrant women, older women, women with disabilities, women detainees, lesbian, bisexual and transgender women and other women facing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. The Committee reiterates its concern that rural and indigenous women in particular continue to face barriers in the exercise of their rights and in access to basic services, land tenure and credit facilities.

40. The Committee recommends that the State party provide comprehensive information and statistical data in its next periodic report on the situation of disadvantaged groups of women and the implementation of the existing policy instruments to address their specificities. It urges the State party to pay special attention to the needs of rural, indigenous and minority women and to ensure that they participate in decision-making processes and have full access to justice, basic services, land tenure and credit facilities.

Link to full text of the report: Concluding Observations-CEDAW-Peru-2014-eng