Survivors of violence that support victims

The closure of the Ministry of Women and Human Rights in Ecuador has severely weakened the state's response to gender-based violence and the protection of rights. The absence of a leading institution has led to the fragmentation of public policies, the weakening of support services, the loss of technical capacity, and setbacks in prevention, protection, and redress programs, directly impacting women, girls, adolescents, and the LGBTIQ+ population. This occurs within a context of increased violence, social insecurity, and institutional weakening, further exacerbating vulnerability.

This institutional vacuum also leads to the obscurity of structural problems and reduces the State's capacity to fulfill its international human rights obligations. Monitoring and evaluation processes for public policies are disrupted, weakening the guarantee of rights and access to justice. Without a governing body, the response is fragmented among under-resourced institutions lacking clear leadership and specialized expertise. Social and human rights organizations have sustained processes of accompaniment, advocacy, and protection, but we cannot replace the State.

We lack the resources, authority, and territorial capacity to assume the responsibilities that belong to public institutions. Without a State that fulfills its role and without the decisive support of the international community, the risk intensifies of leaving thousands of women and people experiencing violence without effective protection, weakening the democratic fabric and the historical progress made in human rights.