Paraguay: Femicide Death Toll Reaches 30 So Far This Year

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence  (Nov. 25), Paraguay's Minister of Women's Affairs Nilda Romero reported that 30 femicides have occurred in the country so far this year.

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She also noted that 179 femicides were recorded from 2017 to 2020 in the country; while calls to the 137 SOS MUJER toll-free line increased by 78 percent compared to the same period last year. 

Several social organizations have supported the 2020 no-violence campaign's theme "Get involved, don't let violence go by" and have announced a "Vigil for Life" to take place at the Juan O'Leary Square in Asuncion.

Meanwhile, the National Intersectoral Coordinator Union (CNI) is set to hold a march to denounce structural violence against women and the failure of the government to fulfill its agreement with rural workers. 

The Latin American Network Against Gender Violence declared that the region is in a "feminist emergency". In this region, during the COVID-19 quarantine periods, the countries with the highest number of femicides have been Mexico (720), Colombia (508), and Argentina (227).  

Over 80,000 acts of sexual and domestic violence have also been reported in 12 Latin American countries and 24,710 women have been reported missing.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was established to honor the Dominican Mirabal sisters (Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa), who were killed by the Rafael Trujillo dictatorship (1930-1961).