Law No. 14,457, of September 21, 2022, created the “Emprega + Mulheres e Jovens” Program and introduced Chapter VII into the Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) to establish measures for the prevention and combat of sexual harassment and other forms of workplace violence.
Law No. 14,540 of April 3, 2023, establishes the Program for Preventing and Combating Sexual Harassment, Crimes against Sexual Dignity, and Sexual Violence within the scope of direct and indirect public administration at the federal, state, district, and municipal levels. The law also extends its application to private entities that provide public services.
Law No. 14,541/2023 establishes the creation and uninterrupted operation of Women’s Police Stations (Delegacias Especializadas de Atendimento à Mulher – Deam) to provide specialized law enforcement services for women who are victims of violence. The law requires these stations to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. Assistance must be provided preferably by female police officers in private rooms.
Law No. 14,612, of July 3, 2023, amended the Statute of the Legal Profession (Law No. 8,906/1994) to include moral harassment, sexual harassment, and discrimination among the ethical-disciplinary violations within the scope of the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB). With this reform, Article 34 of the statute was updated to explicitly prohibit these practices and to define their scope.
Law No. 14,857/2024 amended Law No. 11,340/2006 (Maria da Penha Law) to establish confidentiality of the victim’s name in cases involving crimes committed in the context of domestic and family violence against women. The measure strengthens protections for the victim’s privacy and dignity by ensuring that their identity remains confidential throughout judicial proceedings.
This law promoted the creation and establishment of a gender affairs observatory (‘Observatorio de Asuntos de Género’). The purpose of the observatory is to identify and select a system of gender indicators, to analyze gender data, and to monitor public and private plans and programs to suggest improvements on policies and regulations aiming for gender equity in Colombia.
Law 11317 originally sought to protect women in the workforce and end child labor. While most of the law has been repealed and replaced with modern labor standards, a prohibition on women working certain jobs considered to be dangerous or unhealthy, remains. Said prohibition was explicitly brought forward in Article 192 of Law 20744, which itself had repealed and replaced many other provisions of Law 11317.
This law amends Paraguay’s Criminal Code and establishes (among other things) penalties for (i) sexual harassment, article 133; (ii) domestic violence, article 229; (iii) sexual coercion, including sexual abuse without intercourse, article 128; (iv) human trafficking, article 129; (v) sexual abuse of defenseless victims, article 130; and (vi) sexual abuse of persons held in custody, children under 14, and/or persons under guardianship –articles 130, 131, 135, 136, 137 and 230.
This law enacted rules for the prevention and sanction of several forms of violence and discrimination against women. It established provisions that guarantee all women i) a life free of violence, both in the public and private sectors, ii) the exercise of their rights granted both by the domestic and the international legal systems, iii) access to administrative and judicial procedures for protection and attention, and iv) the adoption of public policies against violence and discrimination.
This law modified articles 236, 239, 57, and 58 of the Labor Code, among other provisions to establish special labor protections for pregnant and lactating women. The law prohibits the dismissal of pregnant or lactating women without cause and without prior permission of a labor inspector. It also granted women the right to receive their regular salary during a 14-week maternity leave.
