UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 23) The fourth National Equality Plan (2018–2024),19 which has five stand-alone20 and four intersecting thematic areas,21 incorporates strategies for the substantive equality of men and women, and its aim is to remove obstacles to such equality.
Para 94) One of the stand-alone thematic areas of the fourth National Equality Plan (2018– 2024) is empowerment for decision-making. In 2017, to promote political participation, the High Court of Electoral Justice established the Political Participation Unit76 and the Gender Policy Unit, 77 which are responsible for advocacy, awareness-raising and motivational activities.
Para 96) The Women’s Political Training School is a learning event that has been held seven times81 with a view to highlighting women’s political leadership and supporting the creation of women’s political networks.
Para 97) The project “Getting to Know Our Women Authorities” (decision No. 66/2016), followed by the project Building Citizenship–Women, was launched to raise the visibility of women elected to municipal, departmental or national office. In addition, seminars and workshops were held.
Para 99) Gender statistics from the 2018 general election are accessible online. The Gender Atlas provides data on women in elective office and other decision-making positions.
Para 109) The “For Employment” platform is an intermediary service that can be used to register and look for job opportunities at companies. The Ministry holds regular job fairs. The strategy Employ Equality covers three areas of work to promote the autonomy and economic empowerment of women.
Para 110) The Ministry’s Labour Affairs Support Service was strengthened to promote and protect the rights of working women – particularly pregnant women, nursing mothers and women in the domestic sector – by providing free legal advice and support. In 2020, the Civil Service Secretariat adopted its second Plan for Equality, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination in the Civil Service (2020–2024).
Para 111) Act No. 5508/15 on Promotion and Protection of Motherhood and Support for Breastfeeding was regulated by Decree No. 7550/17 and expanded by Act No. 6453/19. The Judicial Secretariat for Gender Issues organizes activities such as a seminar on the rights of women workers to maternity and breastfeeding leaves (2020).
Para 114) Act No. 5407/15, the Domestic Labour Act, introduced improvements to ensure decent working conditions. In 2019, it was amended by Act No. 6338/19 to bring the wages for domestic labour into line with the minimum wage.
Para 158) Stand-alone thematic area four of the fourth National Equality Plan (2018–2024) informs economic empowerment efforts driven by shared responsibility, employment, financing and entrepreneurship, while prioritizing rural women, indigenous women, girls and adolescents.
Para 159) The module for the economic advancement of women, which is coordinated by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security at the Ciudad Mujer (women’s city) Centre Ñande Kerayvoty Renda and Ciudad Mujer Mobile, facilitates the development of empowerment, skills-building and productive entrepreneurship strategies. In 2020, 44,755 women were provided services by Ciudad Mujer at the Centre itself, and 30,666 services were provided via the mobile mode to 10,856 women in 12 of the country’s departments and 44 of its districts.
Para 160) Equality is the cross-cutting theme of the National Development Plan, the Social Protection System and “Jajapo Paraguay”, the National Poverty Reduction Plan. Tekoporã, Tenonderã and Tekoha continue to promote the empowerment of women heads of household, who account for 75 per cent of the participants in these three programmes.
Para 161) The strategy Employ Equality contributes to the autonomy and economic empowerment of women. The Ministry of Labour established the Entrepreneurship Training Centre, which offers training, formalization and connections to sources of financing for new businesses with a view to creating a favourable environment for the business plans of young Paraguayan women.
Para 162) The Project for the Integration into the Workforce of Women Entrepreneurs (2016– 2018) involved the establishment of revolving funds and training in entrepreneurship and income-generating projects. Women were given incentives to run for office in the 2021 municipal elections. Fairs, training sessions and competitions were held to encourage the use of information and communication technology and women’s entrepreneurship – a digital literacy programme was also promoted.
Para 163) In 2020, the inter-agency group behind the development of a national care policy, coordinated by the Ministry for Women, adopted the framework document for a preliminary bill and plan of action for the definition of this policy.
Para 165) The Embrace (Abrazo) Programme and Fundación Capital have deployed a strategy to give a boost to women’s income and empowerment through training, business improvement, the establishment of groups of savers and alliances with strategic public and private actors. In 2020, with 256 mothers participating in the Abrazo Programme, 16 groups of savers were set up in centres in Asunción and the departments Central, Cordillera and Misiones.
Para 166) Decree No. 3678/2020139 contained the implementing regulations for Act No. 5446/15 on Public Policies for Rural Women, the fifth implementation report on which is available online. The country’s lawmakers are considering a bill that would require equal pay for men and women in both the public and the private sectors.

UN Compilation:
Para 24) The United Nations country team noted that the gender equity approach had been strengthened in the judiciary through strategies to end harmful gender stereotypes in judicial proceedings.
Para 27) The United Nations country team noted that the rate of women’s participation in political life remained among the lowest in the region …
Para 46) CEDAW … concerned about the persistence of structural barriers to access to high-quality education for girls, in particular at the secondary and tertiary levels.
Para 51) The United Nations country team indicated that 31.1 per cent of young rural women were neither in school nor employed, making them vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy, economic dependency and forced migration. Moreover, rural women had higher rates of illiteracy (53.5 per cent) and unemployment (44.7 per cent) because they engaged in domestic work.
Para 52) The HR Committee was concerned about the still limited extent of women’s participation in political and public life and their underrepresentation in decision-making positions and in public and elected office, including in the judiciary, the legislature and the executive branch.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 41) Kuña Róga (KR) reported that equal representation of women in politics had not yet been achieved. JS17 added that changes were still needed to allow women to participate fully in political life.
Para 46) JS1 stated that the youth unemployment rate was twice as high as the overall unemployment rate and three times as high where women were concerned; that youth unemployment mainly affected young persons from lower-income backgrounds; and that steps should be taken to facilitate access to employment for young persons. JS12 reported that there was a high level of non-participation in the labour force among indigenous persons, especially women.
Para 47) JS1 noted that more women than men participated in economic activities on a parttime, flexible or self-employed basis and that the average salary of men was almost double that of women. Steps should therefore be taken to promote the integration of women into the labour market.
Para 68) JS5 stated that young and adolescent girls find it more difficult to gain access to and remain in education.
Para 69) Two submissions reported that illiteracy had increased, especially among indigenous women. JS5 added that the school dropout rate was high.
Para 73) JS1 reported that women continued to face discrimination in various sectors.

National Report:
Para 35) The specialized unit of the Public Prosecution Service investigates all forms of trafficking in persons. In 2018, the scope of the unit’s work was expanded to include efforts to combat the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. There is a reporting system, including an online portal, involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry for Women, the Ministry for Children and Adolescents and the National Police. A national prosecutorial office was set up to coordinate investigations.
Para 189) Under article 223 of the Criminal Code, trafficking in minors is made a punishable offence, and exposing them to the risk of sexual or labour exploitation is an aggravating circumstance. Trafficking in persons, including for purposes of sexual exploitation, is a crime pursuant to Act No. 4788/12, which also provides for the relevant penalties.
Para 190) The Programme for the Comprehensive Care of Child and Adolescent Victims of Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation ensures the provision of psychological, legal and social support to children and adolescents with a view to helping them return to their families and sponsors outreach and prevention activities. The Rosa Virginia home for child and adolescent victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation has been operating since 2015. In 2019, the Ministry for Children and Adolescents entered into an agreement with the government of Central Department to set up centres for the protection and comprehensive care of child and adolescent victims.
Para 191) The National Policy on Children and Adolescents 2014–2024 provided the framework for the Plan for the Prevention and Eradication of the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents 2012–2017, the Abrazo Programme, the project Building Bridges to Combat Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Children and Adolescents, the Arapoty Project, on developing the strength to combat trafficking in children and adolescents, and other initiatives.
Para 192) The National Secretariat for Tourism is the driving force behind awareness-raising campaigns for the prevention and reporting of the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents in the context of tourism (annex XI).
Para 193) Annex XII consists of information on initiatives to prevent and combat violence against and the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents. Annex XIII presents legislative developments in addition to the laws described in annex IV (items 3, 5 and 36 of section C).
Para 194) Special mention should be made of Act No. 5659/16 on the Promotion of Good Treatment, Positive Child-Rearing and the Protection of Children and Adolescents from Physical Punishment or Any Type of Violence as a Method of Correction of Discipline and Act No. 6202/18, under which rules for the prevention of sexual violence and for the comprehensive care of sexually abused children and adolescents were adopted.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 42) JS1 noted that sex trafficking remained a problem in Paraguay. JS18 added that indigenous girls and adolescents were particularly affected by trafficking in persons and sexual and labour exploitation. JS18 reported that convictions were rare and psychosocial support was limited.
Para 49) Two submissions stated that trafficking of children was often conducted through their use for labour, including the criadazgo (domestic work of young children). Victims of criadazgo were at higher risk of maltreatment/sexual abuse.
Para 78) … JS1 noted that efforts to combat violence of this kind and sexual exploitation were insufficient.

National Report:
Para 7) ... Act No. 5446/15 on public policies on behalf of women in rural areas.

Para 8) ... Act No. 4675/12 to upgrade the Secretariat for Women into a Ministry.

Para 67) The Ministry for Women was organized by Act No. 4675/12, which established it as the body responsible for directing, setting standards for and coordinating government policy to promote equal rights and opportunities for men and women and for encouraging full participation by women in politics, the economy, society, culture and civil life within the framework of the third national plan for 2008 to 2017 to provide equal opportunities for men and women.

Para 68) The plan determined three strategic lines of action for poverty reduction based on empowerment and social inclusion: a) design of models for action to incorporate the gender perspective into sectoral public policies and to improve the competitiveness of small-scale producers of stevia-ka'a he'e (Stevia rebaudiana) and to increase its exports, b) a social programme to empower women in peri-urban settlements, c) support for women entrepreneurs on family farms.

Para 69) Act No. 5446/15 on public policies on behalf of rural women underpins efforts to promote the economic, political, social and cultural rights of women living in rural areas for their empowerment and advancement. A total of 2,711 women benefited from the project to encourage women's participation in the labour market in the departments of de San Pedro, Caazapá and Canindeyú and it has been extended to include the departments of Alto Paraguay, Paraguarí and Misiones for the direct benefit of 1,686 women.

Para 70) Steps have been taken to encourage women to stand as candidates for decisionmaking positions as part of the programme to improve women's capacity to participate in politics. Work is also under way to develop an agenda to further the political rights of women, to train women holding elected positions and to raise awareness among men. The legislative branch is examining a bill to amend article 32, paragraph r) of Act No. 834/96, on the Paraguayan Electoral Code in respect of the percentage of women in elected positions.

Para 108) The National Career Development Service (SNPP) has provided training for a total of 1,792 women in the different geographical regions of Paraguay; the highest percentages were in Central (27 per cent) and Itapuá (17 per cent) departments (2014). In the same year, as part of its policy to ensure that at least 50 per cent of its trainees are women, the National Professional Skills and Training System (SINAFOCAL) held six courses for women in rural areas. In 2015, 58 courses are being organized.

UN Compilation:
Para 6) Paraguay is currently covered by the Regional Office for South America of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and a national human rights adviser. With the support of the national human rights adviser, the Office contributed to enhancing the meaningful participation of rights holders, especially women and discriminated groups, in reporting to the international human rights mechanisms.
Para 12) Three Committees, the Special Rapporteur on disability and the United Nations country team were concerned about the lack of a comprehensive anti-discrimination legal framework and the persistent discrimination suffered by women, …
Para 50) CEDAW was concerned at the persistence of discriminatory stereotypes in media communication and at intersecting forms of discrimination against women based on their sex, ethnicity, disability and marital status.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 12) JS9 noted that there was structural discrimination against … women domestic workers …
Para 15) JS9 emphasized … the double discrimination faced by women of African descent, who are vulnerable to various forms of sexual violence.
Para 15) JS9 emphasized … the double discrimination faced by women of African descent, who are vulnerable to various forms of sexual violence.
Para 38) Several submissions were concerned about growing hostility, stigmatisation and criminalisation against journalists and human rights defenders (HRD). … Several submissions expressed concern about … women human rights defenders.
Para 73) JS1 reported that women continued to face discrimination in various sectors.

National Report:
Para 167) Act No. 5777/16 on the Comprehensive Protection of Women from All Forms of Violence was adopted. The Act provides for prevention, care, protection, punishment and comprehensive reparation in the public and private spheres, covers various forms of violence – sexual, physical, psychological, remote, economic, political and workplace violence – and establishes penalties of 10 to 30 years’ imprisonment for femicide. The regulations implementing the Act were adopted under Decree No. 6973/2017.
Para 181) The Ministry for Women and the Judicial Secretariat for Gender Issues are working on a draft bill that would create courts and tribunals specializing in violence against women.