On Wednesday, lawmakers reformed a bill intended to address gender violence in the country and turned down a US$20 million credit offer that would have funded the Ministry of Women. According to Miriam Gonzalez, from the group Paraguay Coordination of Women, conservative sectors believe that gender studies are still an “ideology”. She said that by removing the word “gender” from legislation dealing with gender violence, the lawmakers made the victims “invisible” and nullified a measure that would have allowed women suffering the consequences of dangerous and illegal abortions to seek free medical attention at hospitals.

Miriam stated this came despite the fact that “a quarter of women's deaths in the country are due to consequences of unsafe abortions."

Withal, lawmakers approved a measure to make femicide a specific crime punished with tougher sentences of up to 30 years in prison. “Violence against women has risen by 32 percent over the past year,” said lawmaker Rocio Casco, head of the legislative commission of gender equality.

Paraguay's Senate and House of Representatives are overwhelmingly composed of men, with Paraguay coming in as the fourth worst country in Latin America in terms of women in public office.

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