An Overview of Gender-Based Violence: Latin America and the Caribbean

Unequal and gendered power dynamics that emphasize male superiority contribute to gender-based violence in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Many women and girls feel social pressure to be obedient and dutiful within their family, while men and boys are often expected to be dominant and assertive.

Women and girls fulfill a disproportionate amount of unpaid care work as a result of unequal gender expectations. In Mexico, women spend 29 hours each week caring for sick family members compared to 13 hours spent by men. Women in Colombia spend 32.9 hours each week on unpaid care work, 20 hours more than men.i In several countries in LAC including Mexico and Colombia, gender norms are influenced by traditional notions of gender within Catholicism.