Responses to Information Requests

Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

1. Situation and Rates of Violence Against Women

Freedom House reports that "domestic violence and rape remain common" in Venezuela (2025-02-26, Sec. G3). A report by the Centre of Justice and Peace (Centro de Justicia y Paz, CEPAZ) [1] indicates that Venezuela's [translation] "multidimensional crisis" has had a disproportionate effect on the rights and living conditions of vulnerable groups, including women (2024-11-25, 6). According to an article published by the Borgen Project [2], "[i]nstitutional collapse, extreme poverty, forced migration and the absence of adequate public policies" have contributed to a rise in GBV and femicide in the country (2025-10-14).

Sources report that there is no official statistics on GBV in Venezuela (CEPAZ 2024-11-25, 7; UN 2023-05-31, para. 25). According to Freedom House, civil society actors report that the Venezuelan government's lack of transparency on data and state spending "makes it impossible to create effective policies to combat … domestic violence" (2025-02-26, Sec. C3).

The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) notes that [as of December 2024], 6.2 million people in Venezuela need "protection assistance," which includes supports for survivors of GBV and trafficking (UN 2025-03-20, 6). Utopix, a "Venezuelan women's rights NGO" (Freedom House 2025-02-26, Sec. G3), reports that in the first 9 months of 2025, 123 femicides occurred in the country, averaging 1 woman killed every 53 hours; there was also, on average, 1 attempted femicide every 40 hours (Utopix 2025-12-17). For the year 2024, Utopix recorded 1 case of femicide every 47 hours, on average, and 1 attempted femicide every 41 hours (2025-12-17).

CEPAZ reports a rise in gender-based political violence surrounding the 2024 presidential elections (2024-11-25, 19). The same source indicates that in the context of the elections and the [translation] "weakening" of democracy in Venezuela, "women leaders, activists, journalists, and human rights defenders [have] faced sexist attacks, threats, harassment, and smear campaigns that perpetuate gender stereotypes" (CEPAZ 2024-11-25, 13). The source adds that [translation] "at least" 246 women, including 28 girls, were among the 1,848 individuals reported detained during post-electoral protests (CEPAZ 2024-11-25, 19). For information on the political situation, including the 2024 presidential elections and the treatment of political opponents and protesters, see Response to Information Request VEN202202 of February 2025.

The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), reporting on the situation in Venezuela between 1 May 2024 and 30 April 2025, indicates that 53% of women and girls faced obstetric violence [3] when giving birth, with low-income households "disproportionately affect[ed]" (UN 2025-06-18, para. 20). The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) writes in its 2023 periodic report on Venezuela that the country criminalizes obstetric violence as a type of GBV (UN 2023-05-31, para. 37). However, sources report that abortion is also criminalized [4] (CEPAZ 2024-11-25, 8; Freedom House 2025-02-26, Sec. G3; UN 2023-05-31, para. 37(a)), including in cases of rape, incest or severe fetal impairment (UN 2023-05-31, para. 37(a)).

CEDAW indicates that lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex women in particular experience "high levels of gender-based violence," discrimination and stigmatization in Venezuela (UN 2023-05-31, para. 47). CEPAZ similarly reports that lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer women are excluded socially and [translation] "extreme[ly] vulnerab[le]," including to violence and hate speech (2024-11-25, 9). The OHCHR reports that from May 2024 to April 2025, "[h]ate speech" against women and LGBTQ+ persons "contributed to eroding the right to participate in public affairs without discrimination" (UN 2025-06-18, para. 38). CEPAZ notes that of 29 hate crimes documented in 2023 and 2024, [translation] "more than half" targeted trans women (2024-11-25, 9). CEDAW also reports that migrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking women and girls experience "intersecting forms of discrimination and disproportionate levels of gender-based violence," particularly in border, tourist, and mining regions (UN 2023-05-31, para. 45(a)). The same source adds that women in the workplace face sexual harassment and "other forms" of GBV (UN 2023-05-31, para. 35(c)).

1.1. State Violence

According to the OHCHR, state officials employed "sexist… rhetoric" in the media to delegitimize opposing voices (UN 2025-06-18, para. 38). According to Freedom House, women political prisoners have "reported abuses by security forces including sexual violence, threats of rape, and forced nudity" (2025-02-26, Sec. G3). The UN's International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for September 2023 to August 2024, the period surrounding Venezuela's 2024 presidential elections, investigated 11 cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) involving 19 victims, perpetrated "most[ly]" by state security forces and "generally" taking place in preliminary detention centres across 8 states (UN 2024-10-14, para. 715, 717). The cases included the following acts:

• Threat of rape and sexual violence
• Sexual violence including groping of breasts, buttocks and genitals
• Forced nudity in front of custodians and other detainees of the opposite sex, sometimes with the obligation to perform physical exercises
• Invasive body searches of detainees or visitors
• Sexual exploitation and coercive transactional sex
• Sexist insults
• Denial of sexual and reproductive rights. (UN 2024-10-14, para. 716)
  
  

According to the UN fact-finding mission, these cases show "differentiated patterns of violence" based on gender, and "reflects how security forces employed gender stereotypes to exercise control, punishment and humiliation against women, men and even boys and girls" (UN 2024-10-14, para. 718).

2. Legal Framework

2.1. Overview and Implementation

Sources indicate that the 2007 Act on Women's Right to a Life Free from Violence (Ley Orgánica sobre el Derecho de las Mujeres a una Vida Libre de Violencia), [amended in 2014 and 2021 (Cornell Law School [2021-12])], addresses acts of violence against women in Venezuela (Cornell Law School [2021-12]; Baker McKenzie [2021], 1). However, the Borgen Project states that although the Act constitutes a "legislative milestone," "institutional weakness and corruption" have prevented "effectiv[e]" implementation (The Borgen Project 2025-10-14). The Women's Commission (Comisión de la Mujer) of the Universidad de los Andes (ULA Mujer) similarly states that [translation] "in practice" the Act is a "dead letter" [i.e., lacks force or authority] (ULA Mujer 2024-06-02). CEPAZ notes, for instance, that the Act has yet to have implementing regulations, which hinders its application and enforcement; lack of funding also represents a stumbling block (2024-11-25, 4). CEDAW reports that the Act lacks gender-sensitive protocols for its implementation, including to guide the investigation of GBV that targets lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex women (UN 2023-05-31, para. 25(a)). The same source adds that Venezuela has no gender equality legislation compliant with international standards (UN 2023-05-31, para. 25(b)).

The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023 indicates that although police and hospital personnel are obliged by law to report intimate partner violence to judicial authorities, this law was "rarely followed or enforced" (US 2024-04-22, 47). In addition, the source states that Venezuelan law also establishes "women's bureaus at local police headquarters" and specialized GBV tribunals, noting that "two-thirds of states" had such courts (US 2024-04-22, 47). The same source notes, however, that according to "NGOs," the bureaus and tribunals "tended to be ineffective at addressing gender issues and delivering justice" (US 2024-04-22, 47).

2.2. Legislation

Sources report that Venezuelan law criminalizes various forms of violence against women, including sexual, psychological, and physical (Cornell Law School [2021-12]; US 2024-04-22, 47-47).

Article 18 of the Act on Women's Right to a Life Free from Violence provides the following definition of violence against women:

[translation]

Definition

Article 18. The violence against women that is referred to in this Act includes all sexist acts that result or can result in death, physical, sexual, psychological, emotional, occupational, economic or property-related harm or suffering; coercion or unwarranted deprivation of freedom, as well as the threat of committing such acts, whether they occur in a public or private setting. (Venezuela 2007, bold in original)

Article 19 of the same Act lists the following 25 categories of violence against women:

• Psychological violence
• Bullying and harassment
• Threats
• Physical violence
• Domestic violence
• Sexual violence
• Intimate partner sexual violence
• Forced prostitution
• Sexual slavery
• Sexual harassment
• Workplace violence
• Property-related and economic violence
• Obstetric violence
• Forced sterilization
• Media violence
• Institutional violence
• Symbolic violence
• Cyberviolence
• Political violence
• Gynecological violence
• Multi-causal violence
• Smuggling of women, girls and adolescent girls
• Trafficking of women, girls, and adolescent girls
• Femicide
• Inducement to or assistance in suicide (Venezuela 2007).
  
  

Articles 73 to 74 of the Act on Women's Right to a Life Free from Violence provide the following on the punishment for femicide and aggravated femicide:

[translation]

Femicide

Article 73. Whoever intentionally causes the death of a woman, motivated by hatred or contempt for the status of woman, commits the offence of femicide, which will be punished by imprisonment for twenty to twenty-five years.

It is considered hatred or contempt of the status of woman in any of the following circumstances:

1. In the context of dominant and subordinate relationships based on gender.
2. The victim shows signs of sexual violence.
3. The victim was subjected to cruel or inhuman treatment or presents degrading or humiliating injuries or mutilation incurred ante-mortem or post-mortem.
4. The corpse of the victim has been exposed or exhibited in a public space.
5. The perpetrator has taken advantage of the fact that the woman was in a situation of risk or of physical or psychological vulnerability.
6. There was a proven history of violence against the woman, in any of the forms established in this Law, whether reported or not by the victim.

Aggravated Femicide

Article 74. The following cases of aggravated femicide will be punished by imprisonment for twenty-eight to thirty years:

1. When there is or was, between the aggressor and the victim, a marital relationship, a stable de facto union, or an intimate relationship, with or without cohabitation, or a relationship by marriage or blood.
2. When there is or was, between the aggressor and the victim, an employment, academic or professional relationship involving trust, subordination or superiority.
3. When the act was committed in contempt of the body of the victim or to satisfy sexual instincts.
4. When the act was committed in the context of trafficking of women, female children or adolescents, or by organized crime networks. (Venezuela 2007, bold in original)
   
   

Articles 76 to 78 of the same Act provide the following on the obligations of various actors involved in a complaint of violence against women:

[translation]

Obligation to notify

Article 76. Health care personnel who treat women who are victims of the acts of violence covered by this Law shall notify any of the agencies listed in Article 90 hereof within twenty-four hours, using any legally recognized means. This period shall be extended to forty-eight hours if communication difficulties make it impossible to contact any such agency. Failure to comply with this obligation will result in a fine of fifty (50) to one hundred (100) times the official exchange rate of the highest-value currency published by the Central Bank of Venezuela. This fine shall be imposed by the court with jurisdiction over the case, without prejudice to any other civil and administrative actions that may be applicable.

Failure to comply with the obligation to duly process the complaint

Article 77. Any public servant working for the agencies receiving the complaints, referred to in Article 90 of this Law, who fails either to receive a complaint or to initiate the corresponding proceedings within forty-eight hours of receiving it will be subject to a prison sentence of one to two years. The public servant shall also be dismissed from their position.

Obligation to implement corrective measures

Article 78. Any person in a position of authority in a workplace, educational establishment or any other type of institution who, upon becoming aware of acts of sexual harassment committed by individuals under their supervision, fails to take appropriate action to correct the situation and prevent its recurrence, will be subject to a fine of one thousand five hundred (1,500) to five thousand (5,000) times the official exchange rate of the highest-value currency published by the Central Bank of Venezuela.

The competent specialized court shall assess the severity of the acts and the diligence shown in correcting them for the purposes of imposing the fine. (Venezuela 2007, bold in original)

The Act further provides the following:

[translation]

Bodies that receive complaints

Article 90. Complaints regarding offences of violence against women may be made orally, in writing, or in Venezuelan Sign Language, by any means, with or without the assistance of a lawyer, to any of the following bodies:

1. Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministerio Público)
2. Community Justice of the Peace Courts
3. Prefectures and civil administrative offices
4. Scientific, Criminal, and Forensic Investigations Corps (Cuerpo de Investigaciones Científicas, Penales y Criminalísticas)
5. National, state, and municipal police agencies
6. Border command units of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces
7. Municipal courts in localities where the above-mentioned bodies do not exist
8. Any other body vested with competence in this matter

Each of the above-mentioned organizations will establish offices with specialized personnel to receive complaints of the acts of violence referred to in the Law.

Indigenous peoples and communities will establish complaint receiving bodies as part of the legitimate authorities according to their customs and traditions; however, female victims of violence may also go to any of the other organizations indicated in this article.

Obligations of the agency receiving the complaint

Article 91. The agency receiving the complaint shall:

1. Receive the complaint, which may be submitted orally, in writing, or in Venezuelan Sign Language, by any means.
2. Order any necessary and urgent measures, including appropriate medical examinations of the woman who has been assaulted at public or private health care centres in the locality.
3. Provide timely guidance, orally or in writing, to women experiencing gender-based violence.
4. Order the compulsory appearance of the alleged aggressor to provide a statement and to take part in any further proceedings necessary to clarify the reported facts.
5. Impose such protective and safety measures as are appropriate to the circumstances of each case, without limitation, to prevent further acts of violence and to safeguard the life and other human rights of the woman concerned.
6. Create the corresponding file.
7. Prepare a report setting out the circumstances that serve to clarify the facts, and attach it to the complaint along with any additional information or documents that the agency receiving the complaint considers necessary.
8. Forward the file, duly paginated, to the Public Prosecutor's Office, together with any actions the agency considers appropriate to support the criminal investigation.

The National Commission to Guarantee Women's Right to a Life Free of Violence shall develop a unified protocol for assisting women who are victims of any form of violence. This protocol shall be implemented by the agencies receiving complaints. All agencies that receive complaints must have officials who are trained in the human rights of women who are victims of gender-based violence. Under no circumstances shall victims or their family members be required to deliver notifications or summonses necessary to give effect to this article.

Contents of the file

Article 92. The file created must have a consecutive nomenclature, must be properly sealed and paginated, and should also contain the following:

1. A record of the complaint explaining how the acts of violence occurred, which specifies the location, time and date of the attack against the complainant, as well as the date and time when the complaint was filed.
2. Information regarding the identity of the alleged aggressor and their relationship with the woman victim of violence.
3. Information on any previous acts of violence which the alleged aggressor has been accused of, and if possible, including the date(s) on which they occurred, as well as whether a formal complaint was made before a competent receiving body.
4. In the case of property-related violence, any inventory of the state of the affected movable or immovable assets of the female victim.
5. The notice given to the alleged aggressor.
6. The records on each one of the acts [of violence] cited, if possible supported by minutes composed for such purposes and duly signed by both parties and by the official of the receiving body.
7. The record of referral of the victim for medical examination.
8. The results of expert examinations, examinations and evaluations of the victim and of the alleged aggressor.
9. Duly substantiated specifications regarding the protection measures taken for the victim. (Venezuela 2007, bold in original)
   
   

Article 98 of the Act provides the following on timelines for investigating a complaint:

[translation]

Time frame for the investigation

Article 98. The Public Prosecutor's Office shall complete the investigation within a period not exceeding four months. If the complexity of the case so requires, the Public Prosecutor's Office may submit a well-founded request for an extension to the competent Court on Violence Against Women, with functions of oversight, hearings and measures. The request must be submitted at least ten days before the initial period expires, and the extension granted shall be no less than fifteen days and no more than ninety days.

The court shall issue a reasoned order within three working days of receiving the prosecutor's request. The decision granting or denying the extension may be appealed only once.

Sole Paragraph: If the Control Court for Hearings and Measures orders the preventive detention of the accused, the Public Prosecutor's Office shall file the corresponding final decision within thirty days of that judicial decision. This period may be extended for up to fifteen days if the prosecutor submits a duly substantiated request at least five days before the period expires. The judge shall decide on the matter within three days. If the prosecutor does not file the corresponding final decision within the prescribed period, the court shall order the release of the accused or impose a substitute preventive measure or one of the protective and safety measures referred to in this Law. (Venezuela 2007, bold in original)

The Act includes the following additional provisions on safety and protection measures for survivors of acts of violence against women:

[translation]

Protective and safety measures

Article 106. Protective and safety measures are preventive in nature and are intended to protect women who are victims of violence—whether physical, psychological, sexual, or financial—from any act that violates or threatens the rights set out in this Law, and to prevent further acts of violence. These measures shall be applied immediately by the agency receiving the complaint at the time it is filed.

The following are protective and safety measures:

1. Referring women who have been assaulted, when required, to specialized centres so that they may receive the appropriate guidance and care.
2. Arranging for the admission of women who are victims of violence—and their children who require protection—to the shelters established under this Law, in cases where remaining in their home or residence poses an imminent threat to, or results in a violation of, the rights provided for in this Law. Shelter stays shall be temporary.
3. Ordering the alleged aggressor to leave the shared residence, regardless of ownership, if cohabitation poses a risk to the woman's physical, mental, financial, or sexual safety. The alleged aggressor shall be prohibited from removing household items and may take only personal belongings and work tools and instruments. If the accused refuses to comply with the measure, the agency receiving the complaint—with the assistance of law enforcement, security, or public order authorities—shall immediately enforce the order and apprehend the alleged aggressor in flagrante for refusing to comply with an order issued by a complaint-receiving agency.
4. Returning women who are victims of violence to their homes, while arranging for the simultaneous departure of the alleged aggressor in the case of a shared home, proceeding in accordance with the provisions of the previous paragraph.
5. Prohibiting or restricting the alleged aggressor, whether directly or through third parties, from approaching the woman who has been assaulted, and, as a consequence, prohibiting the alleged aggressor from approaching her workplace, place of study, or residence.
6. Prohibiting the alleged aggressor, whether directly or through third parties, from engaging in any act of persecution, intimidation, or harassment against the woman who has been assaulted or any member of her family.
7. Requesting that the competent court issue a temporary arrest warrant when the alleged aggressor cannot be apprehended in flagrante. The court shall rule on the request immediately.
8. Ordering police surveillance or patrols at the residence of the victim filing the complaint or her family members or representatives for as long as considered necessary, and preparing a report—signed by the victim or her family members—confirming that the measure is being carried out.
9. Seizing any bladed weapons or firearms in the possession of the alleged aggressor, along with any permit to carry them, regardless of the aggressor's profession or occupation, and immediately forwarding them to the competent authority for the appropriate forensic analysis. In cases involving psychological violence, harassment, threats, or other forms of violence, this measure shall be applied immediately.
10. Requesting that the authority responsible for issuing weapons permits suspend the permit where there is a threat to the victim’s safety. In cases involving psychological violence, harassment, threats, or other forms of violence, this measure shall be applied immediately.
11. Requiring the alleged aggressor to provide the woman who is the victim of violence with the necessary support to ensure her subsistence, when she lacks the financial means to do so and is economically dependent on the alleged aggressor. This obligation must not be confused with the obligation to provide child support for children and adolescents, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Court for the Protection of Children and Adolescents.
12. Asking the competent judge to suspend the alleged aggressor's right to reside in the residence where the female victim is housed with her children.
13. Any other measure necessary for protecting all the rights of women who are victims of violence and of any of their family members.

Maintenance of protection and security measures

Article 107. In all cases, the protection measures will be maintained during the process and may be replaced, modified, confirmed or revoked by the competent jurisdictional body, either ex officio or at the request of a party. The replacement, modification, confirmation or revocation of the protection measures will take place when there is evidence that determines their necessity.

Priority application of the protection, security, and precautionary measures

Article 108. The security and protection measures, as well as the precautionary measures, established in the present Law, will be applied in priority to those established in other legal regulations, without prejudice to cases when the competent judge, ex officio, upon application by the prosecution, or at the victim's request, deems it necessary to impose any of the alternate precautionary measures provided for in the Code of Criminal Procedure, in order to ensure that the suspect or the accused submits to the proceedings against them.

Procedure in cases of necessity and urgency

Article 109. The receiving agency, the woman who has been the victim of violence, or—in cases of femicide—her relatives, may directly request that the Court with Jurisdiction over Offences of Violence against Women, with functions of oversight, hearings and measures, issue the appropriate temporary detention order in situations of necessity and urgency. Any order for detention must be fully reasoned. The court shall rule on the request within twenty-four hours and shall issue the necessary protective and safety measures to safeguard the life and safety of the woman who has been the victim of violence, her ascendants, descendants, and any persons under her care.

Common provisions on protection and security measures

Article 110. The Tribunal that handles cases of violence against women, with functions of oversight, hearings and measures, may:

1. Replace, modify, confirm or revoke the protection measures imposed by the receiving body.
2. Grant the security measures requested by the victim or the Public Prosecutor's Office.
3. Impose any other measure among those provided for in Articles 106 and 111, in accordance with the circumstances of the case.

Sole paragraph: If the urgency of the case warrants it, the measure can be imposed without the results of the appropriate medical examination; other evidence deemed suitable, including the presence of the victim at the hearing, can take its place.

Precautionary measures

Article 111. The Public Prosecutor's Office may request that the Court with Jurisdiction over Offences of Violence against Women, with functions of oversight, hearings and measures or with judiciary functions, impose the following precautionary measures, if applicable:

1. Temporary arrest of the aggressor for up to forty-eight hours, to be kept in the establishment that the tribunal designate.
2. Order for the alleged aggressor to be prohibited from leaving the country. The terms will be determined by the tribunal depending on the severity of the acts.
3. Prohibition to dispose of, pawn and mortgage any items of the community assets of the marriage or common-law relationship, up to fifty percent (50%).
4. Prohibition, for the alleged aggressor, to reside in the same municipality where the victim has established her new residence, when there is evidence of persecution on his part.
5. Visiting the location where the acts of violence were committed.
6. Establishment of child support in favour of the victim, after a socioeconomic evaluation of both parties.
7. Require the person identified as the aggressor to attend a specialized centre for psychological assessments, interviews, and consultations, which they must undergo on a mandatory basis, and to provide the court with the appropriate reports demonstrating compliance with this measure.
8. Any other necessary measure to ensure the personal, physical, psychological and property-related protection of the victim of violence. (Venezuela 2007, bold in original)
   
   

3. Treatment of Survivors of Violence Against Women by Society and State Authorities

Information on treatment of survivors of violence by society was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The UN's International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for September 2023 to August 2024, the period surrounding Venezuela's 2024 presidential elections, states that individuals who experience sexual violence in Venezuela "fear… social and cultural stigma" in their personal and professional lives (UN 2024-10-14, para. 2, 3, 710).

CEPAZ reports that [translation] "the State minimizes or denies the existence of GBV" (2024-11-25, 25). According to the US Country Reports 2023, Venezuelan police "generally were reluctant to intervene to prevent intimate partner violence" and lacked proper training to do so (US 2024-04-22, 47). According to the Borgen Project, "an estimated 7 out of 10 women do not report the violence they experience, mainly due to fear of retaliation or mistrust of the judicial system" (2025-10-14). CEPAZ indicates, regarding cases of femicide documented by various civil society organizations, that none of the reports mention the perpetrator having a criminal record for GBV; this is in line with the underreporting of GBV and the lack of response from security institutions, resulting in [translation] "impunity" (2024-11-25, 8).

4. Support Services

According to Venezuela's National Women's Institute (Instituto Nacional de la Mujer, INAMUJER), which falls under the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality (Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Mujer y la Igualdad de Género), support services available to women are as follows:

• Shelters: confidential and staffed by an interdisciplinary team, shelters provide temporary housing for women and their dependent children whose physical safety is in [translation] "imminent danger" due to GBV.
• Telephone helpline 0800MUJERES (0800-6853737): There is a free, nationwide hotline available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, through which callers can access comprehensive guidance (emotional support, basic legal advice, etc.), "intervention in situations of violence" and information on support programs run by INAMUJER.
• Comprehensive Women's Care Units (Unidades de Atencion Integral a la Mujer): "spaces designed to guarantee women's right to a life free from violence" through "humanized childbirth" and breastfeeding. They also advocate for sexual and reproductive rights in coordination with healthcare centres by promoting the use of doulas and women's rights advocates.
• Comprehensive Care and Training Centres for Women (Centros de Atención y Formación Integral de las Mujeres, CAFIM): physical spaces where a multidisciplinary team of professionals provides psychosocial and legal support to GBV survivors (Venezuela n.d.).

Sources report that Venezuela has 5 shelters for women experiencing GBV, (UN 2023-05-31, para. 25 (c); CEPAZ 2024-11-25, 8), a "low number" considering that the law requires "at least" 1 per department (UN 2023-05-31, para. 25 (c)). CEPAZ further reports that the shelters are difficult to access due to a lack of information on their locations and available spaces (2024-11-25, 8). It adds that there are no shelters appropriate for LGBTIQ+ women, leaving trans, lesbian, and bisexual survivors of GBV at [translation] "greater ris[k]" (CEPAZ 2024-11-25, 8).

The Borgen Project identifies NGOs and humanitarian agencies that provide support services to Venezuelan women, such as violence prevention, legal aid and other forms of care, including organizations like CEPAZ, Utopix, and the UNHCR, but does not mention support services provided by the state (2025-10-14). However, CEPAZ reports that because the State does not acknowledge the existence of GBV, organizations providing support to survivors are in [translation] "constant conflict" with authorities (2024-11-25, 25). US Country Reports 2023 notes that in addition to "inadequate" protection and supports for GBV survivors, there is "a lack of public awareness" about the resources and supports that are available (US 2024-04-22, 48).

5. State Protection

According to Freedom House, individuals who experience violence at the hands of the state "have no realistic avenue for redress" (2025-02-26, Sec. F2).

The information in the following paragraph was provided by CEDAW:

No coordination exists between national institutions to improve the situation of women and women's civil society organizations "of different political backgrounds." What is more, Venezuela's National Commission to Guarantee Women's Right to a Life Free from Violence [5] "is not yet operational and its members have not been appointed." Finally, there is no "national action plan on women and peace and security" in Venezuela (UN 2023-05-31, para. 15, 17(a)(b)).

According to CEPAZ, there is a [translation] "marked contrast" between the government's "self-proclaimed 'feminis[m]'" and official initiatives and legislation to protect women's rights, and the "actual experience" of Venezuelan women (2024-11-25, 4). The Borgen Project states that victims of violence against women face "institutional revictimization" in Venezuela's justice system as well as a lack of safe shelters, while perpetrators enjoy "impunity" (2025-10-14). Similarly, the UN fact-finding mission indicates that the "widespread impunity" for cases of SGBV persists in Venezuela and "further silences the victims" (UN 2024-10-14, para. 710).

According to US Country Reports 2023, survivors of GBV face a "lack of progress in investigations and [an] inability to follow up on cases after filing reports" (US 2024-04-22, 48). CEDAW notes that women face economic barriers to accessing justice, including the "limited availability" of free legal aid (UN 2023-05-31, para. 13(a)). US Country Reports 2023 indicates that survivors of GBV experienced "limited" enforcement of laws and access to justice (US 2024-04-22, 48). The OHCHR indicates in 2025 that "since 2008 over 138 killings of transpersons remained non-investigated" (UN 2025-06-18, para. 80). Citing Venezuela's Office of the Attorney General [Public Prosecutor's Office], the same source indicated that 540 men were sentenced for the crime of femicide between 2018 and 2025 (UN 2025-06-18, para. 76).

The OHCHR reports that on 22 January 2025, the Supreme Court of Justice upheld a decision sentencing a GBV survivor to 30 years' imprisonment over her abusive ex-partner's killing of her son for "'commission by omission in the execution of the crime of intentional homicide qualified with treachery and for ignoble motives, with the aggravating circumstance of perpetration against a child'" (UN 2025-06-18, para. 79). Sources report that the woman was convicted after her former partner murdered her child to punish her for wanting to end the relationship (ULA Mujer 2024-06-02; Amnesty International 2023-07-20). ULA Mujer reports that the ex-partner, who confessed to the crime, was sentenced to 15 years in prison (2024-06-02). Sources report that the original conviction was based on gender stereotypes and failed to acknowledge the woman's experience of GBV (UN 2025-06-18, para. 79; Amnesty International 2023-07-20). Amnesty International indicates that the woman had previously attempted to report her partner for GBV, but the police refused to register her complaint (2023-07-20).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Notes

[1] CEPAZ is a non-profit organization based in Venezuela whose mission is to promote societal transformation, peace and democracy by empowering women (CEPAZ n.d.). The information for this report came from interviews CEPAZ conducted with 39 women leaders from civil society and from public reporting by local and international NGOs (CEPAZ 2024-11-25, 3).^[back]

[2] The Borgen Project is an international non-profit organization that uses political advocacy to address global poverty (The Borgen Project n.d.).^[back]

[3] The UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women describes obstetric violence as "violence experienced by women during facility-based childbirth"; the term is "not yet in use in international human rights law" but several Latin American countries have laws criminalizing it (UN 2019-07-11, para. 12). Venezuela's Act on Women's Right to a Life Free from Violence provides the following definition for obstetric violence:

[translation]

Article 66. Acts carried out by healthcare personnel that are deemed obstetric violence consist of:

1. Not attending to obstetric emergencies in a timely and efficient manner.
2. Compelling the woman to give birth in a supine position with her legs raised, when the necessary means for vertical birthing are available.
3. Obstructing the initial bonding between the baby and the mother, without medical justification, denying the possibility for the mother to carry and nurse the baby immediately after birth.
4. Altering the natural process of a low-risk delivery through the use of acceleration techniques, without obtaining the voluntary, explicit and informed consent from the woman.
5. Performing a caesarean section, when there are conditions for natural birth exist, without obtaining the voluntary, explicit and informed consent from the woman.
6. Violating the rights recognized in the Constitutional Decree for the Promotion and Protection of Humanized Delivery and Birth.

In such cases, the court shall impose on the person responsible a fine ranging from two hundred and fifty (250) to five hundred (500) times the official exchange rate of the highest-value currency published by the Central Bank of Venezuela. The court shall also forward a certified copy of the final conviction to the relevant professional association or trade union, for the corresponding disciplinary proceedings. (Venezuela 2007, bold in original)^[back]

[4] CEDAW notes that women in Venezuela have "limited access to safe abortion and post-abortion" care (UN 2023-05-31, para. 37(a)). Freedom House reports that "many" women and girls turn to "unsafe and unsanitary clandestine abortions" or must travel outside the country to access abortion (2025-02-26, Sec. G3).^[back]

[5] Cornell Law School reports that the 2021 reform of the Act on Women's Right to a Life Free from Violence established the National Commission to Guarantee Women's Right to a Life Free from Violence, "a body tasked with coordinating state efforts in prevention, protection, and access to justice for women" ([2021-12]).^[back]

References

Amnesty International. 2023-07-20. "Venezuela: Naibelys Noel es víctima de violencia vicaria de género y del Estado." [Accessed 2025-02-18]

Baker McKenzie. [2021]. "Venezuela." Fighting Domestic Violence. [Accessed 2026-02-03]

The Borgen Project. 2025-10-14. Su Ying Lee Yang. "Femicides in Venezuela: Fighting Gender-Based Violence." [Accessed 2026-01-29]

The Borgen Project. N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 2026-02-18]

Centro de Justicia y Paz (CEPAZ). 2024-11-25. La violencia en femenino – El Libro Violeta de la represión en Venezuela. [Accessed 2026-01-26]

Centro de Justicia y Paz (CEPAZ). N.d. "Sobre CEPAZ." [Accessed 2026-02-18]

Comisión de la Mujer, Universidad de los Andes (ULA Mujer). 2024-06-02. "Corte de Apelaciones ratificó sentencia de pena máxima a Naibelys Noel, víctima de violencia vicaria." [Accessed 2026-02-18]

Cornell Law School. [2021-12]. Legal Information Institute. "Ley Orgánica sobre el Derecho de las Mujeres a una Vida Libre de Violencia (2007, con reformas posteriores)." [Accessed 2026-02-06]

Freedom House. 2025-02-26. "Venezuela." Freedom in the World 2025. [Accessed 2026-01-26]

United Nations (UN). 2025-06-18. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Situation of Human Rights in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (A/HRC/59/58) [Accessed 2026-01-27]

United Nations (UN). 2025-03-20. International Organization for Migration (IOM). Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Crisis Response Plan 2025. [Accessed 2026-01-30]

United Nations (UN). 2024-10-14. International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Detailed Findings of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. (A/HRC/57/CRP.5) [Accessed 2026-02-02]

United Nations (UN). 2023-05-31. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Concluding Observations on the Ninth Periodic Report of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. (CEDAW/C/VEN/CO/9) [Accessed 2026-01-29]

United Nations (UN). 2019-07-11. General Assembly. A Human Rights-Based Approach to Mistreatment and Violence Against Women in Reproductive Health Services with a Focus on Childbirth and Obstetric Violence. (A/74/137) [Accessed 2026-02-10]

United States (US). 2024-04-22. Department of State. "Venezuela." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2023. [Accessed 2026-02-06]

Utopix. 2025-12-17. Aimee Zambrano. "Septiembre de 2025: Son 17 casos para un total de 123 femicidios en Venezuela en 9 meses." [Accessed 2026-01-26]

Venezuela. 2007 (amended 2021). Ley Orgánica sobre el Derecho de las Mujeres a una Vida Libre de Violencia. Excerpts translated by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada. [Accessed 2026-02-04]

Venezuela. N.d. Instituto Nacional de La Mujer (INAMUJER). "Programas." [Accessed 2026-02-04]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Asociación Civil Mujeres en Línea; Asociación Venezolana para una Educación Sexual Alternativa; Centro de Justicia y Paz; HumVenezuela; Mulier; Observatorio Venezolano de los Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres.

Internet sites, including: Asociación Civil Mujeres en Línea; Asociación Venezolana para una Educación Sexual Alternativa; Center for Strategic and International Studies; CESVI; El Nacional; Fundación para la Prevención de la Violencia Doméstica hacia la Mujer; Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security; Human Rights Watch; Infobae; InSight Crime; International Commission of Jurists; More to Her Story; Mulier; Observatorio Venezolano de los Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres; RED NARANJA; UN – UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women; Washington Office on Latin America.