Latin America and the Caribbean most violent region for women – UN report

A New United Nations (UN) report says Latin America and the Caribbean is the most violent region in the world for women.

In the report, the UN Women and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) found assaults on women persisted in the region, despite severe laws aimed at curbing the phenomenon.

It says the rate of sexual violence against women outside of relationships is the highest in the world in the region, and the second-highest for those who are or were part of a couple.

The report adds that three of the 10 countries with the highest rates of rape of women and girls were in the Caribbean.

The report states that Femicide, the killing of women, occurred on a devastating scale in Central America and that two out of three women murdered died because of their gender.

The report notes that while 24 of the 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have laws against domestic violence, only nine have passed legislation that tackles a range of forms of other violence against women in public or private.

According to the report, 16 of regional countries have femicide on the books, with only a few punishing newer types of crimes, such as cybercrime, political violence or acid attacks.

The UN agencies recommend strengthening institutions and policies in the region, and allocating resources to empower women.

The report also recommends that patriarchal cultural norms that maintain gender inequality be addressed.