Peru: Bill Eliminating Concept Of Gender Threatens Progress On Human Rights, Warn UN Experts

GENEVA (22 December 2025) - UN experts* today called on the Government of Peru to prevent the enactment of a law signed by the President of the Congress of Peru that would eliminate the concept of gender in key public policies, warning that such legislation would represent a significant regression in the country’s frameworks to promote equality and non-discrimination.

“By replacing gender with biological sex, the proposed legislation would weaken existing protections for women and gender-diverse individuals, by ignoring the social and cultural realities of gender and the inequalities that arise from them,” the experts said.

On 19 November 2025, the Congress of Peru approved Bill 8731/2024, the Law on Equality of Opportunity between Women and Men. The law removes the concept of gender from the legislation currently in force, replaces references to ‘gender equality’ with ‘equity’ or ‘equal opportunity’, and requires corresponding changes across a wide range of existing laws and policies related to gender equality. The law also removes references to sexual and reproductive health rights, and limits access to comprehensive sex education.

“By defining gender equity and equality narrowly, through the prism of biological sex, the law undermines the broader, transformative aims of gender equality. While equity and equality of opportunity are important goals, they cannot in themselves serve as substitutes for gender equality,” the experts said.

“Ensuring unfettered access to comprehensive sex education and guaranteeing the right to sexual and reproductive health are essential to promote the empowerment of women and girls and prevent discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and other gender-diverse persons,” they said.

The experts were alarmed by the law’s restrictions on official cooperation with civil society actors involved in lawsuits or complaints against Peru, noting that such legislation would arbitrarily penalise human rights defenders and organisations, including those working on non-discrimination and LGBT rights. They also expressed concern regarding the removal of a requirement that Peru align its policies to its international human rights commitments under existing treaties and instruments ratified by the Peruvian State.

“Restrictions on civil society advocacy, combined with an apparent retreat from the State’s obligations to fulfill its international human rights commitments, add to a troubling pattern of recent regressive legislative initiatives in Peru that are out of step with regional and international standards,” the experts said.

“We urge the Government of Peru to prevent the enactment of this law and recommit to its international human rights obligations.”

The experts have been in touch with Peru about their concerns.

Notes:

*The experts:

• Graeme Reid, Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
• Claudia Flores (Chair), Ivana Krstić (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Haina Lu, and Laura Nyirinkindi, Working group on discrimination against women and girls
• Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
• Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
• Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association

© Scoop Media