UN Experts Warn Peru Law Erasing Gender Could Roll Back Equality, Rights

On 19 November 2025, Peru’s Congress approved Bill 8731/2024, known as the Law on Equality of Opportunity between Women and Men.

United Nations human rights experts* have urged the Government of Peru to halt the enactment of a recently approved law that would remove the concept of gender from public policy, warning that the move would represent a serious setback for equality, non-discrimination and human rights protections in the country.

The experts cautioned that redefining equality solely on the basis of biological sex would undermine long-standing legal and policy frameworks designed to address the social, cultural and structural inequalities faced by women and gender-diverse people.

“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.

Controversial Law Approved by Congress

On 19 November 2025, Peru’s Congress approved Bill 8731/2024, known as the Law on Equality of Opportunity between Women and Men. The bill, signed by the President of Congress and awaiting enactment, removes the concept of gender from existing legislation and replaces references to “gender equality” with terms such as “equity” or “equal opportunity.”

The law mandates changes across a wide range of public policies and legal instruments related to gender equality. It also:

• Eliminates references to sexual and reproductive health rights

• Restricts access to comprehensive sexuality education

• Narrows the scope of equality frameworks currently used to address discrimination

According to the experts, these changes risk hollowing out the substance of equality protections while preserving their appearance in name only.

Gender Equality Cannot Be Reduced to Biology

The experts stressed that while equity and equal opportunity are important principles, they cannot replace gender equality, which seeks to dismantle systemic discrimination and power imbalances.

“By defining gender equity and equality narrowly, through the prism of biological sex, the law undermines the broader, transformative aims of gender equality,” they said.

They emphasized that comprehensive sex education and full access to sexual and reproductive health services are essential tools for empowering women and girls and for preventing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and other gender-diverse persons.

Restrictions on Civil Society Raise Alarm

UN experts also expressed deep concern over provisions that restrict official cooperation with civil society organizations involved in legal actions or complaints against the State. Such measures, they warned, could arbitrarily penalize human rights defenders and organizations working on:

• Non-discrimination

• Women’s rights

• LGBT rights

• Access to justice

In addition, the law removes explicit requirements for Peru to align public policies with its international human rights obligations, despite the country having ratified multiple treaties and instruments at the regional and global levels.

Part of a Broader Pattern of Regression

The experts noted that the proposed law fits into a worrying trend of regressive legislative initiatives in Peru that diverge from established regional and international human rights standards.

“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,” they said.

Call for Government Action

The experts urged Peru’s authorities to prevent the enactment of the law and to reaffirm the country’s commitment to gender equality, non-discrimination and international human rights law.

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

The experts confirmed that they have been in direct contact with the Peruvian authorities to convey their concerns and to encourage dialogue aimed at safeguarding rights and equality for all.