Domestic violence in Ecuador is a pervasive issue that disproportionately affects women and reflects broader challenges in the country's efforts to address gender-based violence. Although Ecuador has adopted progressive laws and international commitments over the past four decades, enforcement remains weak. As a result, domestic abuse often goes underreported. Surveys reveal that the majority of Ecuadorian women have experienced some form of violence in their lifetimes, psychological and physical abuse by intimate partners are particularly common. The situation is further complicated by deeply rooted cultural attitudes, systemic impunity, and the involvement of state institutions in both perpetuating and failing to adequately address abuse. High-profile cases like those of Salomé Aranda and María Belén Bernal have sparked national outrage. These incidents have intensified public demands for justice and reform. Domestic violence in Ecuador is not only a human rights concern but also a reflection of ongoing struggles to ensure accountability, safety, and dignity for women across the country.
Historical milestones
1979–1981 The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 18, 1979, signed by Ecuador on July 17, 1980, and was approved and came into force in 1981 during the presidency of Osvaldo Hurtado Larrea.Consejo Nacional para la Igualdad de Género. (1981). Convención Sobre Eliminación De Toda Discriminación Contra La Mujer [Convention On The Elimination Of All Discrimination Against Women]. https://www.igualdadgenero.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/CONVENCION-SOBRE-ELIMINACION-DE-TODA-DISCRIMINACI%C3%93N-CONTRA-LA-MUJER.pdfThe first report was sent in 1982 and since that date, every four or five reports have been submitted; the most recent one was delivered in 2020Essayag, S. (2017). From commitment to action: Policies to end violence against women in Latin America and the Caribbean. United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Women Empowerment.. Feminist organizations throughout the nation assume and active role in ensuring the State's compliance with its obligations towards women Coalición Nacional de Mujeres del Ecuador, Fundación Desafío, Dignidad+Derechos, CEDEAL, & Rescate Escolar. (202 C.E.). Informe Sombra al Comité CEDAW 2020. Coalición Nacional de Mujeres del Ecuador..
1993–2002 The World Conference on Human Rights (WCHR) was held in Vienna, Austria in 1993United Nations. (2014). Women’s Rights are Human Rights (HR/PUB/14/2). United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner.. As a result of this meeting, the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action emerged, along with a series of specific recommendations to promote and protect the rights of women, children and Indigenous people. This included taking special attention around the issue of gender based violence against women as a public matter within the international political agenda.
The Convention of Belém do Pará was adopted in 1994, which acknowledges that women have the right to live without violence, defines acts of violence against them, and highlights that such violence infringes upon human rights and essential freedoms. During the same year, the first women's police stations were created in Ecuador. This Convention gives primary importance to the protection of women's right and to ensuring that women live in a world free from violence, in the public and private spheres.Ávila-Jácome, A. (2012). Modelo de Atención en Casas de Acogida para mujeres que viven violencia. Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador: Graphus.In addition, violence is recognized as any act that threatens women's integrity, freedom, security and dignity and, therefore, as a problem that requires the urgent involvement of governments. States are urged to implement policies, laws, programs, as well as to monitor them, to prevent, address, and sanction the different forms of violence that women experience in everyday life.
The Law N° 103, or "Ley contra la violencia a la mujer y la familia" (Law against violence toward Women and the Family) was approved on November 29, 1995, and published in Ecuador on December 11 on the same year under the Official Registry N°839Rojas, E., Yánez, C., & Cadena, F. (2012). Guía de Atención Integral en Violencia de Género. Quito: Dirección de Normatización-Ministerio de Salud Pública (MSP).Poder Legislativo. (1995). Ley 103/1995. Ley contra la violencia a la mujer y a la familia. Registro Oficial No. 839. SITEAL, IIPE UNESCO. https://siteal.iiep.unesco.org/bdnp/268/ley-1031995-ley-contra-violencia-mujer-familia. This law conceptualized the notion of "domestic violence", established protective measures for people who have experienced violence and set out procedures for judging those who commit acts of aggression. A key aspect of this regulation, and a milestone in the country's legislation on gender-based violence, is that it made explicit for the first time the responsibility of health and national security personnel . In case police officers and health professionals working in public or private center or hospital realized a women they are attending is suffering violence, they have the obligation to report it within a maximum period of 48 hours after becoming aware of the incident.
In 1995, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted, marking a significant milestone in global efforts to advance gender equality and women's rights."Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Beijing +5 Political Declaration and Outcome". UN Women – Headquarters. 2025-03-06. Retrieved 2025-03-28. Later that year, in November, Ecuador enacted the "Law Against Violence Toward Women and the Family," also known as Law 103. This law established the state's responsibility to intervene through the justice system to address and combat violence against women and families.Consejo de Igualdad Intergeneracional. (2018). Ley Para Prevenir Y Erradicar La Violencia Contra Las Mujeres [Law To Prevent and Eradicate Violence Against Women]. https://www.igualdad.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2018/05/ley_prevenir_y_erradicar_violencia_mujeres.pdf
El Protocolo de Palermo (Palermo Protocol), was adopted on November 15 in 2000Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito [UNODC]. (2007). Manual para la lucha contra la trata de personas.Organización de las Naciones Unidas (ONU).. It was the result of the 1998 recommendation of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and the Economic and Social Council and the agreements reached in the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. It was signed in the city of Palermo, Italy and developed between January 1999 and October 2000. This Protocol is an international law enforcement tool in the process of combating human trafficking. It seeks to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in person and focuses particularly on women and children, due to its prevalence and who hare particularly vulnerable to this type of crime.
2003–2011 The "Reglamento a ley para contra la violencia a la mujer y la familia" (The Regulations to the Law against Violence towards Women and the Family) entered into force in 2004 as a guide to protect the physical, psychological, and sexual integrity of women and other members of the family unit Presidencia de la República del Ecuador. (2004). Reglamento general a la Ley contra la violencia a la mujer y la familia(Decreto Ejecutivo No. 1982). Registro Oficial No. 411. Biblioteca Virtual en Salud.Centeno, L. (2011). Manual de perfiles aplicados a la detección de víctimas y victimarios del delito de trata de personas.Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM).. Additionally, it seeks to address domestic violence by outlining a series of judicial procedures intended to be applied in situations occurring in the private sphere. At the same time, it describes a range of protective measures to safeguard the assaulted party and prevent further acts of violence inside the home, and set out legal procedures for responding to cases of aggression.
The Ecuadorian State, through Decree 620 on September 10, 2007, established the construction of the National Plan for the Eradication of Gender-Based Violence against girls, boys, adolescents, and women (2007-2010). As part of this plan, strategic pillars were included, such as the transformation of sociocultural patterns, the construction and strengthening of the comprehensive protection system, access to justice – institutional framework, and the construction and implementation of a registration system.Subsecretaría de Prevención y Erradicación de la violencia contra las mujeres, niños, niñas y adolescentes (2022). "PLAN NACIONAL para Prevenir y Erradicar la Violencia contra las Mujeres 2020-2030" [NATIONAL PLAN to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women 2020-2030] (PDF). Secretaria de Derechos Humanos.
On October 20, 2008, the new Constitution of the Republic established priority, preferential, and specialized care in which older adults, children, adolescents, pregnant women, people with disabilities, prisoners, and those suffering from catastrophic or high-complexity diseases will receive prioritized and specialized care in both public and private sectors. Similarly, priority care will be given to individuals in risky situations, victims of domestic and sexual violence, child abuse, and those affected by natural or man-made disasters. The State will provide special protection to individuals facing double vulnerability
On 2011, The National Council for Gender Equality, the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses, and the Ministry of the Interior conducted the first National Survey on Family Relationships and Gender-Based Violence Against Women in 2011. This survey examines the various forms of violence (physical, psychological, sexual, and economic) that women have experienced throughout their lives, in both public and private spheres, as well as their awareness of or search for services and avenues for justice.
2012–2020 In 2014, to promote more equitable justice, several reforms were made to the Comprehensive Organic Penal Code (COIP) in Ecuador, femicide and discrimination were classified as a criminal offense. Sanctions were established for violence against women or members of the family unit, and the violation of privacy was also classified as a crime.
In January 2018, the National Assembly of Ecuador approved the Comprehensive Organic Law to Prevent and Eradicate Violence against Women, which came into effect upon its publication in the Official Register No. 175 in February of the same year. This law is applicable throughout the entire national territory and to all women residing in the country. Its primary goal is to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence against women through four key areas: prevention, care, protection, and redress.
In 2019, the second National Survey on Gender-Based Violence against Women was conducted. Unlike the 2011 survey, the 2019 version provided a more in-depth investigation into violence by type and in each area. The methodological and operational structure of the survey was updated with new regulatory and conceptual frameworks, allowing for more accurate and comprehensive data. The 2019 survey not only examines violence experienced by women throughout their lives, but also focuses on incidents in the past 12 months. It also introduced new topics, including gynecological-obstetric violence, and made a preliminary attempt to study cyber violence and political violence.Censos, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos. "Encuesta de Violencia contra las mujeres" [Survey on Violence against Women]. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-16.
Extent and social views