Event Summary
On 19 November 2025, the Congress of the Republic approved Bill No. 8731/2024-CR which removes the term “gender equality” from the regulatory framework and replaces it with “equal opportunities between men and women.” The reform establishes that all state entities must adapt their documents and policies to this new concept within one year. The measure also removes Comprehensive Sexual Education from the legal framework and requires the Ministry of Education (Minedu) to replace it with “Sexual Education based on Science, Biology, and Ethics.”
During the presentation, the congresswoman who sponsored the legislation stated that the reform restores “authentic equality between women and men, without distortion or ambiguity” to the State, and celebrated its approval as “a firm step in the defense of our values.”
Organisations such as Amnesty International, the Flora Tristán Peruvian Women’s Center, the Manuela Ramos Movement, and the Center for the Promotion and Defense of Sexual and Reproductive Rights (Promsex) rejected the legislation and criticised the law as a set back for the country. They have urged the Presidency of the Republic to evaluate the law and to consider the technical opinion issued by the Ministry of Women.
If signed into law by the President, this reform would represent a significant threat to the enabling environment for civil society, particularly for organisations working on gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights. A shift from a gender equality framing to one of merely having equal opportunities risks endangering women’s participation in decision-making processes as well as restrict the ability of CSOs to advocate effectively for women’s rights, address structural discrimination, and promote inclusive public policies.