Venezuela approves its management for gender equality

The Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has concluded this Thursday the examination of the ninth periodic report from Venezuela.

During the presentation of the reportDifferent points were discussed, such as the participation of women in public life, protection against femicides, awareness campaigns, human trafficking during the migration process and the conditions of the health system.

Stake

The Minister of People’s Power for Women and Gender Equality of Venezuela and head of the delegation stressed that, as far as education is concerned, women represent 54% of students in science subjectstechnology, mathematics and engineering, and 50% of scientific researchers, data for which they were congratulated by the Committee.

Diva Ylayaly Guzmán also pointed out that 45% of Paralympic players in the country are women, a percentage that rises to 70% when it comes to the number of participants in programs to stimulate financial investment.

In the political arena, there are 46 different women’s councils, and 5,000 women’s rights advocates have been trained nationally. Only 16% of judges are women, however, the Supreme Court of Justice has total paritywith 10 magistrates and 10 magistrates.

Legislation

At the legislative level, the Committee’s expert and rapporteur for Venezuela, Leticia Bonifa, expressed her satisfaction with the number of laws promulgated since 2021. When asked if any criminal legislation is being blocked on the gender issue, the delegation stressed that the State established the crime of femicide and aggravated femicide.

Diva Ylayaly Guzmán added that “all judges and civil servants receive training with a gender perspective. Throughout the country, gender justice is guaranteed with specialized courts, which means that all women victims of violence have access to justice.”

Another expert from the Committee asked about the existing guarantees regarding equality policies, to which the delegation replied that Venezuela has the authority to deal with crimes, including those related to violence against women, through the Prosecutor’s Office.

“There are 73 prosecutors throughout the territory, and specialized judges and prosecutors when it comes to femicide cases. The crimes, when perpetrated, are punished with the maximum penalty. There are 21 laws with a gender perspective, including the organic law on women’s rights to a life free of violence, which is in its second reform”, declared Guzmán.

Migration and human trafficking

An expert from the Committee expressed sadness at reports of trafficking in Venezuelan migrants and prostitution, and asked the delegation why the national anti-trafficking action plan has not been published and what the authorities are doing to combat criminal groups and offer assistance to their citizens in case they are exploited.

The delegation agreed that Venezuela faces a major migration challenge, leaving women vulnerable to falling into the hands of criminal organizations and being subjected to sexual torture and slavery.

In this sense, the head of the delegation confirmed that they have created investigative bodies focused on human trafficking, and there is continuous communication with organizations such as Interpol, with which it works to ensure that the victims can return to the country to have a dignified life. In addition, they maintain adequate communication with the countries to which migrants travel.

“A public procurement office has been created to guarantee the existence of a single channel to file complaints. Office officials who do not report on time will be penalized. Since 2019 there are two specialized prosecutors in cases of trafficking in women and children,” added Guzmán.

However, another expert commented that there were many questions that had not been clarifiedbetween them those relating to prostitution, exploitation and shelters for victims, to which the delegation responded that the economic sanctions against Venezuela had prevented the state from investing significantly in shelters. 111 victims of trafficking have been repatriated.

Health

An expert from the Committee said that, in 2014, they had already expressed deep concern about the high maternal mortality ratethe high rates of adolescent pregnancy and the restrictive abortion law, and assured that these challenges continue today in a more extreme form and asked what measures were planned to address these problems.

The delegation responded that the unilateral coercive measures have significantly affected the health sector in the country, including access to medicines for breast cancer, surgical supplies and vaccines.

However, Guzmán stated that 40,000 students have been trained in sexual and reproductive health, 371 people have been trained in health teams and prenatal care has increased. The head of the delegation added that more than 256 delivery rooms have been renovated and shelters have been created to support women in rural areas.