Our Bodies. Redefining Justice

Examining the jurisprudence in its entirety reveals significant gaps where the law systematically fails to protect women, and also shows how the broad guarantees of international human rights instruments have little practical effect on women's lives. In essence, the law is only beginning to link different forms of violence against women — such as domestic violence, sexual harassment, or forced sterilizations — with systematic discrimination, including the historical failure of States to protect women from these types of human rights violations. This publication provides an in-depth analysis of the case of Peruvian María Mamérita Mestanza Chávez, which was brought before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights by a coalition of human rights and women's rights organizations. The publication includes the brief submitted by the petitioners, the report of the Inter-American Commission, observations from the petitioners in response to the government of Peru, and the friendly settlement agreement signed in August 2003, as well as two essays written by lawyers who participated in the case.