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The Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Women is one of eight thematic Rapporteurships of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
In accord with the basic principles of equality and nondiscrimination underlying the instruments of the inter-American human rights system, the Office of the Rapporteur on the Rights of Women focuses specifically on women's rights and gender equity and equality. Since it was established in 1994, this office has played a critical role in the Commission's task of protecting the rights of women. It has published studies on particular issues, helped to develop new jurisprudence on this subject within the individual case system, and supported research on various issues that affect the rights of women in specific countries of the region, through its country visits and reports. One of the basic principles that informs its work and is reflected in everything it does is the need to incorporate a gender perspective in the planning and implementation of public policies and in decision-making in all Member States.
More specifically, the Office of the Rapporteur raises awareness about the need to take new steps to ensure that women are able to exercise their basic rights; makes specific recommendations that encourage States to meet their priority obligations for equality and nondiscrimination; promotes mechanisms that the inter-American human rights system provides to protect women's rights, such as the lodging of individual complaints on violations; prepares specialized studies and reports in this area; and assists the Commission in responding to petitions and other reports of violations of these rights in the region.
Rapporteur on the Rights of Women