Presentation of the Report “Peru: Feminicide and Violence against Women, 2015-2023”

On Wednesday, August 14, 2024, the presentation of the report “Peru: Feminicide and Violence against Women, 2015-2023” was held at the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) of Peru. The event was attended by Peter Abad Altamirano, Head of INEI; Elba Marcela Espinoza Ríos, Vice-Minister for Women of the Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations; Bethy María Espinoza Rivas, National Coordinator of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Offices on Violence against Women and Family Members of the Public Prosecutor’s Office; and in virtual mode, Adriana Oropeza Lliteras, Coordinator of the UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence.
Mr. Peter Abad Altamirano began the presentation by detailing the figures and rates of femicide in the country, along with the methodology used to obtain this data during the period 2015-2023. He also addressed aspects related to the mechanisms and motivations of femicide, as well as the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. In addition, it presented information on the imprisonment of the perpetrators of this crime, including characteristics such as their age and marital status. Finally, she provided data on violence against women, obtained from the National Social Relations Survey (2019) and the Family Health Demographic Survey, which is conducted annually.
Ms. Elba Marcela Espinoza Ríos highlighted the importance of having a standardized methodology for obtaining consistent figures on femicide and reflected on the seriousness of the phenomenon, both those perpetrated by intimate partners and by persons without an intimate relationship with the victim. She also underscored the impact of gender stereotypes in the perpetuation of violence against women and femicide.
Ms. Bethy María Espinoza Rivas emphasized the relevance of standardizing data to obtain homologated figures on femicide in the country. She pointed out how the unequal dynamics between men and women affect the advancement of women and highlighted the need to apply a gender perspective in public policies to combat violence against women.
Finally, Ms. Adriana Oropeza Lliteras spoke about the UNODC-INEGI Center of Excellence (CoE), its areas of work and some of the technical assistance being provided in countries of the region. She introduced the Statistical Framework for Measuring Gender-related Homicide of Women and Girls (also called “femicide/feminicide”), currently in pilot phase in some Latin American and Caribbean countries. She explained the differentiated dynamics of homicide rates between women and men in the region, noting that while male homicides are mostly perpetrated by strangers or other men, female homicides occur mainly in the intimate sphere and are committed by people known to the victim. She credited the report “Peru: Femicide and Violence against Women, 2015-2023” for its detailed information on the characteristics of victims and perpetrators, commented on 4 good practices identified to generate femicide data highlighting the inter-institutional coordination to obtain standardized figures. She also offered assistance from the CoE for the adoption of the Statistical Framework for the Measurement of Feminicide should the country wish to do so.
To conclude, Mr. Peter Abad Altamirano thanked the institutions that collaborated in the preparation of the report and shared final reflections on the harmfulness of some social ideas that perpetuate violence against women.