• About the IACHR
  • What is the IACHR?
  • Mandate and Functions
  • Sources of the Mandate
  • Basic documents in the Inter-American System
  • Strengthening Process
  • IACHR Strategic Plan 2011-2015
  • Composition
  • Rapporteurships Distribution
  • Staff
  • Selection of Executive Secretary
  • Employment
  • Courses
  • Petition and Case System
  • Legal Assistance Fund
  • Thematic Rapporteurships
  • Statistics
  • Financial Resources
  • Agreements
• Strengthening
  • Strengthening Process
  • Methodology
  • Calendar
  • 2012 Consultation
  • 2013 Consultation
  • Regional Forums
  • Reply to Permanent Council
  • May 30 Seminar
  • Video March 28 Hearing
  • Hearings October 31
• Complaints
  • Informational Brochure
  • Legal Assistance Fund
  • Present a Petition
  • Instructions to Fill Form
• Decisions
  • Reports on Petitions and Cases
  • Admissibilities
  • Inadmissibilities
  • Friendly Settlements
  • Merits
  • Archive
  • Cases in the Court
  • Precautionary Measures
  • Resolutions
  • Answers from the States
• Precautionary Measures
• Hearings
  • Periods of Sessions
  • Hearings Advanced Search
  • Hearings by Topic
• Reports
  • Annual Reports
  • Country Reports
  • Thematic Reports
  • Other Publications
  • Questionnaires
• Periods of Sessions
  • Sessions Held
  • Next Sessions
  • Hearings by Topic
  • Hearings by Session
  • Relevant Information on Public Hearings
  • Hearings Advanced Search
• Activities and Initiatives
  • Country Visits
  • Promotion
  • Speeches
  • Political Bodies
  • Secretary General
  • United Nations
  • Seminars
  • Courses
  • HIV Aids
  • Follow-up of Recommendations
• Media Center
  • Press Releases
  • Subscribe/Cancel Subscription
  • Press Conferences
  • Calendar
  • Coverage of Sessions
  • Photo Gallery
  • IACHR on OAS Flickr
  • IACHR on Flickr
  • IACHR on Twitter
  • IACHR on Facebook
  • IACHR on Youtube
  • Contact Us
• Fellowships and Internships
  • Internships
  • Fellowships
  • Experiences
• Links
• Search

Washington, D.C. - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) conducted a working visit to Peru between October 29 and October 31, 2018. The main objective of the visit was to follow up on the projects of reform within the country's legal system and to obtain information on the situation of the rights of women, girls and adolescents. The delegation of the Commission was composed by Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay, President of the IACHR and Rapporteur on the Rights of Women, by Commissioner Joel Hernández García, Country Rapporteur on Peru, and by specialists of the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR.

In the framework of this visit, the Commission held working meetings with representatives of various State entities, including meetings with the officials from the Executive, Judiciary and Legislative branches; with representatives of civil society organizations; with members of the Academia; and with victims of human rights violations.

Likewise, the IACHR participated in several events in order to promote inter-American standards related to human rights. Commissioner Macaulay participated in the seminar "Women and Constitutional Justice. 25 years from the regulation of violence against women" organized by the Center for Constitutional Studies of the Constitutional Court. She also participated in the panel "Judicial Corruption and access to justice for women, girls and adolescents in Peru", upon invitation of Demus -Peru and CLADEM-Peru. Commissioner Hernández participated in the event "Corruption and justice system: pending reforms" within the framework of the celebration of the 20 years of the Master of Law and Jurisdictional Policy of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru.

The Commission thanks President Martín Vizcarra and his government for providing their consent on behalf of the State to conduct this visit, as well as for the openness and support that all authorities showed to the IACHR. Likewise, the Commission recognizes the efforts of representatives of the State, civil society organizations, journalists, human rights defenders and human rights violations victims and their families for their effort to present information and testimony before its delegation. At the same time, the IACHR expresses its concern about potential reprisals against persons participating in working meetings with the Commission. In this regard, the IACHR strongly condemns any type of reprisal or stigmatization that a State may take, motivated by the participation or actions of individuals or organizations before the organs of the inter-American system, in the exercise of their conventional rights.

Reforms within the legal system

According to information received by the IACHR, judicial officials of various entities of the judicial system allegedly participated in acts of corruption, by way of influence peddling, personal favoritism, abuse of power and malfeasance, among others. Also legal procedures were affected by the alleged existence of a corruption and scheme of influence peddling. In this regard, the Commission expresses its deep concern about the acts of corruption in the system of administration of justice in Peru and its effect on the rights related to judicial guarantees, judicial protection, and access to an independent, impartial and effective legal system; especially, regarding groups in situation of vulnerability.

The Commission notes with particular concern that some of these actions allegedly took place within the framework of the investigation, prosecution and punishment of acts of violence against women, girls and adolescents. In this regard, the Commission was informed about a set of recordings disseminated by the press that establishes the involvement of a judge of the Supreme Court of Justice in negotiations for the acquittal or reduction of a sentence in a case of sexual violence against a girl of 11 years. As the Commission was informed in response to this worrying situation, a series of disciplinary investigations were initiated and sanctions were applied at the highest level, including the removal of all the magistrates from the National Council of the Magistracy (CNM).

Likewise, the President of the Republic announced a reform with the main objective of combating corruption at all levels of the system of administration of justice in the country. The Commission was informed of the measures proposed by the Executive and that are currently in discussion in the Congress which include: the creation of integrity and control authorities within the scope of the Judiciary and the Public Ministry; the incorporation of a Specialized System to address crimes of corruption within the scope of the Public Ministry; the adoption of measures to provide transparency in the system of administration of justice; reforms regarding the intervention of the Public Ministry in contentious administrative proceedings; incentives to probity in the practice of the legal profession; and the creation of the Council for the Reform of the Justice System. This profound process includes a constitutional reform that will be voted on in a referendum on December 9th 2018. This Referendum will include the reform of the CNM and the creation of the National Justice Board; the return to a bicameral Congress; the prohibition of immediate reelection of congressmen; and the reform of the norms of financing to the political parties.
The Commission reiterates that corruption is a complex phenomenon that affects the protection and enjoyment of all human rights, weakens governance, democratic institutions, fosters impunity, undermines the rule of law and exacerbates inequality. Likewise, corruption has a serious and differentiated impact on the enjoyment and exercise of human rights by historically discriminated groups, such as women, children and adolescents; people in situations of poverty, indigenous people; afro-descendants, migrants, and LGBTI persons. Given that the judicial system is of fundamental importance in the defense of the rule of law, the Commission welcomes the efforts of the Peruvian State to combat corruption in order to guarantee the full enjoyment and exercise of human rights.

In particular, the Commission recognizes the commitment assumed by the Executive power to promote a deep and complex institutional reform with the objective of eradicating corruption, strengthening the justice system and strengthening the rule of law. In this regard, the IACHR reiterates to the Peruvian State its willingness to provide its assistance so that the said process is carried out in line with the inter-American standards on democratic institutions, judicial independence, and access to justice.

Judicial corruption and access to justice for women, girls and adolescents

With regard to the rights of women, girls and adolescents, the Commission notes with concern that within the context of violence and structural discrimination they face and due to judicial corruption in Peru, many obstacles remain for women’s effective access to justice. Given the differentiated impact this has on the enjoyment of their human rights, the IACHR considers that the reform of the judicial system may represent an opportunity to conduct deep structural changes in order to ensure effective access to justice without any form of discrimination.

To this end, the IACHR urges the State to adopt the necessary measures to integrate the gender perspective and the rights of children in the reform of the administration of justice. This, through measures that can include comprehensive training on the rights of women, girls and adolescents provided to all justice operators and to those aspiring to become ones as well as the equal participation and representation of women at all levels of administration of justice, in order to decisively overcoming the discriminatory and gender-based prejudices still ingrained in Peruvian judicial structures.

Gender-based violence against women, girls and adolescents

During its visit to Peru, the Commission received encouraging information regarding the State's commitment to prioritize the defense and protection of the rights of women, girls and adolescents. In this regard, the Commission notes positively that the fight against gender-based violence has been established as a national priority by the national government, thus granting important and exceptional financial resources to various entities in charge of the care and protection of women, girls and adolescents. According to information provided by the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (MIMP), this increase in resources has had a concrete and positive impact in the expansion of prevention services offered by the Ministry of Culture, health care services offered by the Ministry of Health, and in a greater specialized coverage of the National Police. In this regard, the IACHR calls on the State to continue providing the necessary and sufficient financial resources to eradicate gender-based violence in the country in a durable manner, ensuring its adequate distribution at sub-national level, in order to integrate budgetary and strategically the multiple forms of violence that women face.

In addition, the Commission received information regarding the numerous efforts undertaken to strengthen the normative framework for the protection of the rights of women, girls and adolescents. The IACHR learned of various decisions adopted by the Constitutional Court of Peru in favor of women's rights, in line with inter-American standards. In particular, the Commission was informed of the Court's decision declaring unconstitutional the impunity derived from biased and discriminatory criteria commonly used to judge sexual crimes, thus vindicating the gender approach in the criminal justice system and recognizing the declaration of the victims as a fundamental proof. Likewise, the Commission takes positive note of the actions taken to address virtual violence against women, such as the approval on June 6, 2018 of the Law that typifies harassment and created measures for its treatment. This law particularly includes virtual harassment and the creation of a platform for reporting it before the MIMP.

However, the Commission notes that these efforts take place in a worrying context of violence and discrimination against women, girls and adolescents. During its visit, the Commission obtained consistent information on the prevalence of misogynistic, sexist and discriminatory socio-cultural patterns that permeate Peruvian society as a whole, which impacts the actions of public officials, thus violating women's right to a life free from violence.

The Commission views with great concern the high rates of violence against women, girls and adolescents in Peru. According to the figures communicated by the Ombudsman's Office, more than 40,000 acts of violence against them have been reported in the first four months of this year. The complaints of gender violence also show an increase: according to the data reported by the MIMP, in 2017 the Emergency Centers for Women treated 9600 cases, a figure that has already been reached this year in September. So far this year and only in four regions of Peru, the Ombudsman's Office has reported at least 43 cases with characteristics of feminicide, including the murder of Jenny Nolasco, a lawyer in charge of the defense of women victims of domestic violence in Callao. As reported by the Ombudsman's Office, less than 1% of cases of gender-based violence against women are tried and sanctioned. The IACHR reiterates its concern regarding the high levels of impunity in these cases and warns that judicial inefficiency, discrimination and corruption generate an atmosphere of impunity that facilitates violence and discrimination against women.

Also, according to information obtained by the Commission, there were and are still profound deficiencies in terms of prevention and education programs for nonviolence, as well as insufficient protection measures for victims of gender-based violence. A real challenge remains for obtaining updated and coordinated statistics as well, which is essential to analyze the scale of the phenomenon and to design effective and adequate public policies. In compliance with its obligation of due diligence, the IACHR urges the State to adopt measures to prevent all acts of violence perpetrated against women, girls and adolescents; investigate them in a serious and impartial manner; judge and punish those responsible; and to adopt protection measures for victims. Likewise, the Commission calls on the State to create a unified and updated registry for the design and implementation of public policies to respond to acts of gender-based violence against women from a human rights perspective, for which the Commission stands ready to provide technical assistance.

Sexual violence against women, girls and adolescents

On the other hand, the Commission expresses its deep concern about the prevalence of sexual violence in Peru and its differentiated impact on the rights of girls and adolescents. According to figures from the Crime Observatory of the Public Prosecutor's Office, in 2017 there were 25.068 complaints of sexual violence in the country, 76% of the victims being girls, boys and adolescents, of which 90% are girls and adolescents. Last year, the Emergency Centers for Women (CEM) of the MIMP treated 9,012 cases of sexual violence, 73% committed against children and adolescents. The Commission also notes with particular concern that the situation of sexual violence against girls and adolescents is also being perpetrated in the schools. In this regard, the IACHR recognizes the efforts made by the State in terms of prevention, such as the withdrawal but not the prosecution, of more than 800 teachers with complaints of sexual crimes; the adoption of guidelines for intervening in violence in schools and improving their detection and prevention; and the national program against violence in schools, deployed in 400 schools in the country, as reported by the MIMP.

Despite these efforts, the Commission has been informed of the lack of inter-State coordination and of insufficient public budget dedicated to the rights of children, which currently represents less than 1% of the national budget. In this regard, the Commission calls on the State to invest the necessary resources in two key dimensions for the protection of girls and adolescents: the effective prevention of violence against them and access to immediate and adequate protection.

On the other hand, the Commission highlights the sanction of the Law 30.838-2018 amending the Criminal Code and provides for the non-applicability of statute of limitations for criminal proceedings and criminal penalties for crimes of sexual violence such as rape, sexual exploitation, child pornography and child labor as an effort to eradicate impunity in cases of sexual violence. However, the Commission notes with concern the regulation of the so-called "culturally conditioned error of understanding" that, in all cases of crimes of sexual violence committed against children under the age of fourteen, and in cases of sexual violence on children above fourteen years without their free consent allows the exemption of responsibility to those who commit crimes without being able to understand their criminal nature because "of their culture or customs", and mitigates the penalty when that possibility is diminished. The IACHR notes that, despite the efforts of the Supreme Court to limit the direct application of this provision by requesting a cultural anthropological expert opinion prior to its application, such provisions could foster social tolerance in the face of these events of violence, thus perpetuating their impunity.

Sexual and reproductive rights

The IACHR has obtained worrying information about the high number of teenage pregnancies, many of them resulting from rape. According to information received by the IACHR, up to September 2017, 20.004 girls and adolescents giving birth were reported, of which 1.645 were children under 15 years old. According to the registry of the National Institute of Computer Statistics, in the year 2017 approximately 13% of the adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age were already mothers or were pregnant. Due to the lack of sexual education, the high incidence of sexual violence, the insufficient preventive measures and access to contraceptive methods, adolescents are exposed to unwanted pregnancies and to forced maternities. The Commission recalls that pregnancy at an early age interferes with the life projects of girls and adolescents, can have negative impacts on their schooling as well as serious consequences for their physical and mental health and committing them to a life of poverty.

The Commission has been informed of the National Guide for the standardization of the procedure of comprehensive care of pregnant women for the voluntary interruption of pregnancies for therapeutic reasons under 22 weeks. This Procedure falls within the framework of the provisions of the article 119 of the Criminal Code and incorporates an open cause that allows therapeutic abortion when its continuity can affect the health of the pregnant woman. However, the Commission has also received consistent information regarding the multiple obstacles that women still face in accessing legal and safe abortions as regulated by the Penal Code. In addition, the IACHR observes with concern that there is no specific protocol that regulates the application of this procedure with respect to girls and adolescents, whose protection must be considered in a high priority and specific manner because of their situation of special vulnerability.

Similarly, the Commission has been monitoring the regulation and distribution of the oral emergency contraceptive pill. After the 2009 Constitutional Court ruling prohibiting its free distribution in the public sector based on doubts about its abortive nature, its distribution has been temporarily restored by virtue of a precautionary measure ordered by the Ministry of Health in 2016. Still, a final judgment has not been issued. Despite this precautionary measure, the Commission was informed of the serious shortages that persist in the country: in the year 2017, the pill was distributed only in 15 of the 25 departments of Peru, which has also prevented its inclusion within the “Emergency Care Kits” in cases of rape. The Commission notes with concern the lack of equal access to the oral emergency contraceptive pill for women victims of sexual violence in situations of vulnerability, specifically girls and adolescents and in particular those poor and those who live in rural, isolated or jungle areas since they depend to a greater extent on the coverage of public services. In this regard, the Commission calls on the Peruvian State to take all necessary measures to guarantee respect and protection, without discrimination, of sexual rights in line with inter-American standards.

Historical impunity in cases of violence against women, girls and adolescents

Forced sterilizations

The Commission has followed up, including through its system of individual cases and petitions, the situation of women victims of forced sterilizations performed during the government of Alberto Fujimori between 1995 and 2001. According to estimates by civil society organizations, there are more than 200.000 cases of women suffering surgical sterilizations without their consent. In many cases, these procedures were carried out under precarious sanitary conditions and without adequate medical follow-up, resulting in serious physical and psychological consequences for thousands of women, including the death of many of them. According to information received by the Commission, up to June 2018, a total of 6.836 women have applied to register as victims of forced sterilization in the REVIESFO (Registry of Victims of Forced Sterilization), despite the numerous challenges that victims continue to face in accessing its registry. In addition, for 2018 no public budget was allocated for the care of victims of forced sterilization.

The Commission notes with concern that forced sterilizations were carried out within the framework of a systematic, violent and discriminatory policy directed specially against indigenous and peasant women, who are still waiting for justice even today. In this regard, the IACHR reiterates its concern over the situation of impunity in which these serious acts remain and reiterates to the Peruvian State its obligation to investigate without delay, in a serious and exhaustive manner, the policy of forced sterilization in order to identify and punish to the responsible people. Likewise, in order to guarantee a coordinated, effective and urgent response, the Commission calls on the Peruvian State to adopt a public policy of truth, justice and reparation that includes access, without discrimination, to justice; protection measures for women who have reported these facts against them; repair measures in mental, physical, sexual and reproductive health through the national health service.

Sexual violence in the context of the internal armed conflict

In the framework of its work visit, the Commission received worrying information regarding the serious violations of human rights suffered by women in the context of the internal armed conflict in Peru and, in particular, the various forms of sexual violence of which they were victims.

In this regard, the Commission takes note of the efforts made by the Peruvian State through the High Level Multisectoral Commission responsible for monitoring State Actions and Policies in the areas of Peace, Collective Reparation and National Reconciliation (CMAN) and the National Reparations Commission, in identifying, registering and providing reparation to individual and collective victims of the internal armed conflict. However, although the Unified Victim Registry (RUV) incorporated rape as a form of affectation, the Commission notes that other forms of sexual violence have not been integrated, such as forced prostitution, sexual slavery, forced sterilization or forced childbirth and abortions, among other forms of sexual violence recognized by the universal and the regional framework of human rights, as well as by international humanitarian law.

Likewise, and according to information provided to the IACHR, as of October 2018, the Unified Victim Registry (RUV) has registered a total of 4,684 cases of direct victims of rape. However, there is only one condemnatory sentence to date. Likewise, the Commission has learned of the numerous irregularities and delays that have occurred in the trial of the cases of sexual violations committed by members of the Armed Forces against indigenous women in the military bases of Manta and Vilca. These irregularities include the lack of psychological support for the victims, references to discriminatory stereotypes based on the gender or race of the victims, and the lack of consideration of their testimonies, which has contributed to a situation of re-victimization deepened by the lack of progress in the process.

The Commission notes with concern that sexual violence against women was used as a systematic practice of submission, terror and humiliation, events that affected peasant and indigenous women differently and that the majority of these acts continue in impunity. The Commission urges the Peruvian State to take the necessary measures to effectively ensure that the national system of reparations for victims of the armed conflict integrates the gender perspective, as well as the measures that allow for the inclusion of victims of various forms of sexual violence in the RUV , in order to provide reparation and contribute to the process of memory, truth and justice in Peru. In addition, the Commission reminds the Peruvian State of its duty of due diligence in investigate in a serious, impartial and prompt manner such acts to identify and punish those responsible, in accordance with their international commitments and in line with inter-American standards regarding sexual violence committed in the context of armed conflicts.

Situation of women, girls and adolescents in a particularly vulnerable situation

Afro-Peruvian women, girls and adolescents

The Commission received worrying information regarding the situation of Afro-descendant women, girls and adolescents who face sexist and racist stereotypes deeply rooted in Peruvian society. Discrimination and social exclusion affects them throughout their lives, from girls and adolescents to adulthood. Afro-Peruvian women must face racist, misogynistic and discriminatory conceptions when exercising their fundamental rights of access to justice, to sexual and reproductive health, to formal employment, to health services and educational opportunities, and their participation in all levels of decision making and their political representation.

According to the information transmitted to the Commission by the Ombudsman Office, currently the Afro-Peruvian community represents 4% of the total population of the country. However, the IACHR has received information from organizations defending the rights of Afro-Peruvian communities noting that the format of the population census as well as the categories associated with the racial factor in it may not have allowed adequate data collection. This may result in an underestimation of the Afro-descendant community in the country. In addition, the Commission has been informed of the absence of ethnic and racial indicators in the design of public policies and of the nearly complete absence of programs specifically aimed at eradicating the violence suffered by Afro-Peruvian women, doubly discriminated against because of their gender and their racial origin. In this regard, the Commission urges the Peruvian State to strengthen the implementation of the National Development Plan for the Afro-Peruvian Population (PLANDEPA); to integrate an ethnic-racial perspective in the design of public policies, in particular into those aimed the reduction of poverty and at the rights of women, girls and adolescents; to collect disaggregated information about this population; to design action plans with the objective of eradicating racial discrimination and prevailing stereotypes in the country; to ratify the Inter-American Convention Against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Intolerance and the Inter-American Convention Against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance. The Commission stands ready to give technical assistance in the design of the necessary plans and their implementation to the State.

Indigenous Women, Girls and Adolescents

According to the information presented by the Ombudsman's Office, there are currently 55 indigenous peoples in Peru, including 6.5 million people who express themselves in 48 original languages. However, despite representing a quarter of the country's population, indigenous people continue to face discrimination, marginalization and violence. In particular, the 3.3 million indigenous women in the country are part of the most vulnerable groups in Peru as they are living mostly in poverty and in rural or remote areas, without access to basic services, or suffering from the lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate services.

Indigenous girls and adolescents are in a greater situation of vulnerability as shown by the high rates of pregnancy within indigenous adolescents in the area of the Peruvian Amazon. The regions of Loreto and Amazonas have the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy (between 15 and 19 years of age) in the country with 34.1% and 26.2% respectively, according to data from the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) of 2017. Also, given the lack of proximity services, adolescents who attend secondary school have to walk long distances to reach their schools, which means that many of them have to spend the night in accommodations that do not meet basic conditions of hygiene and security and where they are at great risk of being victims of sexual violence. Therefore, the Commission calls on the Peruvian State to comply with its international obligations regarding the protection of children and women's rights from an intercultural and appropriate perspective that is respectful of indigenous peoples traditions and customs and also offers its technical assistance to the State to achieve this result.

Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual and Intersex Persons (LBTI)

During the visit, the Commission learned about the structural context of discrimination and violence that lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and intersex women (LBTI) continue to face in Peru. According to the report "Violence against lesbians" published by the civil society organization Lesbian Independent Feminist Socialists (LIFS), lesbian and bisexual women face very high risks of falling victims of physical aggressions, corrective rapes or intrafamily violence. Given the prejudices that exist against them and especially those of afroperuvians communities, victims do not always go to the justice system for fear of being further discriminated against and mistreated because of their sexual orientation, race or gender expression, which leads to a lack of official record of the violence they face and the perpetuation of impunity in the face of such acts.

Although the Commission notes positively the approval of the "Guidelines for the adoption of differentiated actions in the implementation of the Comprehensive Reparations Plan for Women and the LGBTI Population" by the CMAN of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, it also indicates that In general, in Peru there is an absence of public policies that safeguard the human rights of LBTI persons, protect them from violence and discrimination, and sanction those responsible for such acts.

The Commission has learned of several cases of same-sex couples (married abroad) who have been denied civil registration of their children born abroad or in the country; of the worrying situation of harassment and bullying suffered by LGBTI children and adolescents in educational institutions; of the lack of mental health programs specifically geared towards these people; and the challenges in terms of obtaining identity according to the gender expression of trans people and the consequences that this brings in their effective access to health services, education and their formal labor insertion. In this regard, the Commission calls on the Peruvian State to take into consideration Advisory Opinion No. 24 issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in 2017, as well as the inter-American standards regarding the rights of LGBTI persons, in particular concerning the definition of diverse families, the approval of a gender identity law and the sanctioning of hate crimes.

Right to education with gender perspective

In 2016, the Ministry of Education of Peru approved the National Basic Education Curriculum incorporating the gender equality approach, with the aim of eradicating discriminatory prejudices based on gender as well as discriminatory practices based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Currently, the decision on its applicability is pending before the Supreme Court of the country.

The Commission notes with concern the prevalence of sexist and misogynist stereotypes deeply rooted in Peruvian society, as well as the high incidence of school violence due to homophobia, transphobia and biphobia that persists in Peru. According to the information received by the IACHR, 63% of LGTBI people have been victims of some act of discrimination and/or violence, the educational environment being the second scenario with the greatest occurrences. This situation especially affects LGBTI children and adolescents of all races, for whom bullying can lead to dropping out of school at an early age and, in extreme cases to the commission of suicides. In this regard, the Commission reiterates that educational programs with a gender perspective and sexual diversity are essential to eradicate negative and discriminatory stereotypes, to combat discrimination and to protect the rights of all persons, in particular children and adolescents. The IACHR has affirmed on several occasions that human rights education plays a key role in addressing and eliminating structural prejudices, historical discriminations, stereotypes and false concepts about the roles of women and men, and about people with different sexual orientation or different gender identities.

The Commission is concerned that the gender perspective is pejoratively referred to as "gender ideology" and recalls that the gender perspective is a key tool to combat discrimination and violence against women and against people with sexual orientation and gender diverse identities, and a concept that seeks to visualize the position of inequality and structural subordination of women to men by reason of their gender. The IACHR reminds the Peruvian State of its obligation to adopt specific measures to modify the sociocultural patterns of heteronormative behavior, including the design of formal and non-formal education programs to counteract prejudices and customs and all other types of practices that are based on the premise of the inferiority of women or other groups historically discriminated against because of their sexual diversity or gender identity.

"We welcome the efforts of the President of the Republic and Congress in addressing the worrying situation of judicial corruption by carrying out a profound institutional reform," said the Rapporteur of the IACHR for Peru, Commissioner Joel Hernández. "An independent and impartial justice system is indispensable for the effective fight against impunity and corruption, to strengthen the rule of law and to ensure the protection of human rights in Peru," concluded Commissioner Hernández.

"We must recognize the actions taken by the State to protect the rights of women, girls and adolescents in a context of profound discrimination and violence against them," said Commissioner Margarette May Macaulay, President of the IACHR and Rapporteur on the Rights of Women. Women. "However, even today, women suffer multiple forms of violence: rapes, murders, threats, harassment or sexual and labor exploitation are daily occurrences in Peru, aggravated in the case of indigenous women, Afro-Peruvian women or the LBTI community," she continued. Commissioner Macaulay. "It is very worrisome that thousands of women continue to wait, even decades, for their cases to be investigated and duly sanctioned. The fight against impunity must be a priority to guarantee the rights of all women in Peru, "concluded the President of the IACHR.

A principal, autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), the IACHR derives its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote respect for and to defend human rights in the region and acts as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The Commission is composed of seven independent members who are elected in an individual capacity by the OAS General Assembly and who do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 243/18