OAS mechanism warns of “high levels of sexual violence” against women in Paraguay

Asunción, Apr. 15 (EFE).- Women in Paraguay are subjected to “high levels of sexual and psychological violence,” despite the government’s legislative progress, warned Luz Patricia Mejía, technical secretary of the monitoring mechanism for the Belém do Pará Convention, the Organization of American States (OAS) treaty focused on eradicating violence against women.

CAMERA: RON GONZÁLEZ

FOOTAGE: GENERAL SHOTS AND STATEMENTS BY LUZ PATRICIA MEJÍA, TECHNICAL SECRETARY OF THE FOLLOW-UP MECHANISM FOR THE BELÉM DO PARÁ CONVENTION, THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS) FOCUSED ON ERADICATING ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN.

STATEMENTS BY LUZ PATRICIA MEJÍA, TECHNICAL SECRETARY OF THE FOLLOW-UP MECHANISM FOR THE BELÉM DO PARÁ CONVENTION, ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES (OAS), FOCUSED ON ERADICATING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN.

TRANSLATION:

For women, there are high levels of sexual violence and high levels of psychological violence. Most sexual violence goes unreported because, let’s say, women face significant stigma when they turn to the justice system to report that they have been victims of sexual violence. This is because gender stereotypes remain a fundamental factor, despite the significant efforts that have been made and the important changes that have occurred.

What happens in the capital is not the same as what happens in the interior, and in Paraguay, the situation of sexual violence against girls is very evident because there is a normalization—as we mentioned earlier—of widespread child pregnancy and of sexual violence against Indigenous girls.

There are certain social and cultural practices that, in a way, permit and normalize what is identified as sexual violence under the Paraguayan Penal Code itself, which prohibits sexual relations with girls under the age of 14, and involves a very large number of pregnant girls under the age of 14.

Paraguay has very high rates of teenage pregnancy, but when we talk about child pregnancy—meaning girls under 14—we also have very high rates, and this is nothing more than the normalization of violence directed at girls because there are no consequences for such violence.