Reform Paraguay’s sexual violence laws. Amend Articles 128, 136, 137 and 138 of the Criminal Code so that sexual offences are defined around the absence of consent, rather than force or threat, in line with international human rights standards.
Strengthen prevention, protection and survivor-centred services. Replace regressive sexuality education policies with comprehensive, secular, scientific and human rights-based education; create interoperable case tracking; implement enhanced due diligence and comprehensive redress; and ensure free, specialised, 24-hour post-sexual violence healthcare and psychological support throughout the country.
Address harmful practices and regressive legal trends. Prohibit marriage before 18 without exception, develop responses to early unions and criadazgo, withdraw the bill increasing penalties for false reporting, and avoid reforms that discourage reporting, reinforce stereotypes or weaken access to justice for women and girls.

Paraguay: CEDAW submission on sexual violence and harmful practices against women and girls

What’s included in the submission?