ALL people deserve protection from gender-based violence. Stop discrimination and violence from those who should be protecting!
“You try to file a report, I did. I went to the police station the first time and I can’t forget the expression on the officer’s face. He looked me up and down and said: ‘veneca'”. Carmen, Venezuelan woman and survivor of gender-based violence in Peru.
Colombia and Peru are home to millions of people who left Venezuela fleeing human rights violations. In these countries, women and LGBTIQ+ people experience violence every day on the street, in their relationships and at work, fueled by stereotypes and discrimination based on their nationality, their gender identity or sexual orientation.
When they do report violence, they face major obstacles, including more discrimination from the authorities who are in charge of receiving their claims and protecting them.
A woman who filed a report in Colombia called the police because her aggressor was nearby and armed: “ah… you are the Venezuelan, you must have seduced him because he is here looking for you”, was the answer she received.
The governments of Colombia and Peru must protect Venezuelan women and diverse populations by breaking gender stereotypes and discrimination based on nationality that are seen in the prosecutor’s office, the police, and the front-line personnel caring for victims of gender-based violence, including immigration authorities. This includes creating strong protocols for care and taking into account the special needs of foreign women and LGBTIQ+ persons survivors of gender-based violence.
Sign now to demand governments to stop discrimination and violence against Venezuelan women and diversities!