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Alarming Rates of Violence Against Bolivian Women

Categories: Latin America, Bolivia, Protest, Women & Gender
Activists in Cochabamba protest against the alarming rates of violence against women. Photo by Stephanie Weiss. [1]

Activists in Cochabamba protest against the alarming rates of violence against women. Photo by Stephanie Weiss.

According to a United Nations report, seven out of ten Bolivian women have been victims of violence, and only 17% turn to the authorities to report the cases. In addition, a Pan American Health Organization report found that 53% of Bolivian women [2] [es] have been victims of physical or sexual violence, which was the most of the twelve countries in the region that were surveyed.

In light of a recent increase in the number of these types of crimes against Bolivian women, a group of activists in the city of Cochabamba [3] protested in front of the Judicial Palace and in the Main Plaza on February 6, 2013, citing the inaction and silence from State institutions. Photographer Stephanie Weiss posted a Flickr album [1] with photos from these street protests, which were partly organized through the use of social media.