Failure to protect: How discriminatory sexual violence laws and practices are hurting women, girls and adolescents in the Americas

Equality Now’s analysis of laws, policies, and practices related to sexual violence, alongside in-depth discussions with survivors, activists, and lawyers actively engaging with survivors of sexual violence, found that many sexual violence and rape laws across the jurisdictions studied effectively deny justice to survivors of sexual violence due to loopholes and protection gaps in the laws. The report also uncovered severe barriers to accessing justice and implementation gaps within the criminal justice system in many jurisdictions.

We’re calling for comprehensive action from governments to holistically address sexual violence and intersecting discrimination faced by women and girls across the region to live up to their commitments to protect and promote the human rights of women and girls. Specifically, the governments of the Americas must:

• Improve protections in the law
• improve access to justice under the law
• Improve implementation, practice, and accountability
• Challenge negative stereotypes and improve public understanding of sexual violence