UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 91) Regulations have been issued to promote gender equality, including Act No. 29824, the Magistrates Act, which emphasizes the judiciary’s obligation to promote the participation of women in the election and appointment of judges.
Para 95) Although none of the regional governments have provided information on specific plans or programmes that help promote the participation of women in politics or their inclusion in the business world, they have provided information on specific actions to advance women’s political participation, such as issuing ordinances stating that promoting women’s right to political and civic participation, and ensuring its realization, is a priority that is in the public interest.
Para 96) While parity has not been achieved, the participation of women in the public sphere has increased significantly. Thus, in 2016, women accounted for 33 per cent of judicial appointees; 23.4 per cent of commissioned National Police officers and 17 per cent of noncommissioned officers; and 27.7 per cent of elected members of Congress, a figure higher than the 22.3 per cent attained at the general elections of 2011. On the other hand, only 1 woman was elected a regional governor, only 3 were elected mayor of a province and only 3 mayor of a district, out of a total of 1,851 provincial and district municipalities.

UN Compilation:
Para 38) ... The Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law
and in practice noted a shortage of women at the highest levels of the judicial system.
Para 45) The HR Committee was concerned that women were underrepresented in decision-making positions in the public sector. CEDAW was concerned that parliamentary representation of women had decreased, that existing electoral gender quotas in regional and municipal elections were often not met, and that women politicians experienced harassment by peers or the authorities.
Para 47) The Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice noted that Peru had made significant efforts in terms of the political participation of women, which had increased as a result of legislation introducing gender quotas. However, the quotas had not managed to remedy a situation in which women lagged behind.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 52) CNDDHH said that women had still not exceeded the 30 per cent threshold for elected office and held less than 5 per cent of elected posts in local and regional governments ... JS10 reported extensively on the way that the political harassment of women acted as a barrier to their political participation.
Para 97) The Peruvian Black Women’s Development Centre (CEDEMUNEP) observed that the law on quotas did not benefit Afro-Peruvians, who — with some exceptions — were not included in parliamentary lists.

National Report:
Para 80) In Peru, both the Civil Code and health regulations allow therapeutic abortion only to save the life of the mother. It is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code of 1991 in all other cases. The national technical handbook on the standardization of comprehensive care procedures for women who, with their informed consent, are undergoing a voluntary therapeutic termination of pregnancy before the twenty-second week of pregnancy was adopted against that backdrop in 2014.

UN Compilation:
Para 69) [The Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice] and CEDAW expressed concern at the restrictive abortion laws, ... .

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 67) AI stated that abortion remained criminalized, except in cases where the health or life of the pregnant woman and girl was at risk. It added that despite the adoption of the guidelines on therapeutic abortion in 2014, clandestine and unsafe abortions were predominant. JS11 recalled that a discussion on the decriminalization of abortion in cases of rape was pending in the Congress.