About the Author: The Observatorio de Equidad de Género is an initiative led by a coalition of feminist and human rights organizations in Puerto Rico. The Observatory was created in response to growing concerns about the rise in gender-based violence following Hurricanes Irma and María in 2017, and the lack of effective government action in terms of services, data collection, and follow-up. Its mission is to monitor and analyze the living conditions of women, girls, and LGBTT individuals in Puerto Rico, generate data and public policy recommendations, and hold the government accountable for its response to gender-based violence and inequities. Through this work, the Observatory seeks to transform public policy discussions and decision-making by promoting an evidence-based and gender-sensitive approach to advance equity, peace, and development in the country.

This year, we celebrate five years of transforming how gender-based violence and feminicides are understood in Puerto Rico through the collection of sensitive data at the Observatorio de Equidad de Género. Our work began in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and María, as part of an effort by several feminist groups—led by Lcda. María Dolores “Tati” Fernós (RIP) to bring visibility to the increasing number of feminicides and the disappearance of women and girls in Puerto Rico.

At that time, it became evident that official State data was scarce, outdated, and not accessible to the public.

In response to this gap, the Obervatorio was founded with the mission of monitoring and analyzing the conditions in which women, girls, and LGBT+ people live in Puerto Rico. We generate data, provide public policy recommendations, and monitor the State’s response to gender-based violence and inequalities in the country. We also fulfill an educational role, helping shift public narratives around gender-based violence and bringing visibility to the stories of women who would otherwise remain unheard. 

Our work has a broad scope that ranges from orienting communities about gender-based violence to advising governmental agencies and non-profit organizations, and sharing information through media. Our methodology centers on generating open data, which we disseminate primarily through various media and educational outreach to influence public discourse and, most importantly, to prevent violence. Working closely with the press has allowed us to raise awareness for the creation of media narratives on what is the important data to obtain when femicides and disappearances happen so that we can continue to expand our work and influence sensitive data collection. As a result, we have played a critical role in shifting how gender-based violence is made visible, through a more sensitive and critical approach.

At the Observatory, we publish monthly reports that are open to the public on feminicides, attempted feminicides, and disappearances. Through this data collection, we have identified several categories of feminicides that had been or continue to be ignored by the State, including transfeminicide, feminicides under investigation, and indirect feminicides.

We define feminicide as a gender-based violent death that occurs within the family or community, and is perpetrated or tolerated by the State or its agents by their action or inaction.

We underscore the critical distinction between feminicide and murder, as feminicide occurs specifically due to gender-related motives. An example of this distinction is Law 40, which classifies feminicide and transfeminicide as first-degree murder in the Penal Code.  

Similarly, our research has allowed us to document two types of indirect feminicides that are not included in State data: deaths related to organized crime and overdose deaths. Indirect feminicides include deaths where the woman may not be the primary target, but whose death results from the State’s failure to protect her and ensure safe, dignified living conditions. Indirect feminicides within organized crime occur when women are killed as a consequence of criminal dynamics that place them in high-risk situations. Examples include women who are forced into drug trafficking, as well as partners or family members of individuals involved in criminal activity who may be killed despite having no direct involvement.

In areas controlled by organized crime, women are also at risk of being caught in the crossfire. In contrast, overdose deaths are often the result of problematic substance use and isolated drug use, which prevents women from accessing life-saving medical assistance during an overdose. Women with problematic substance use often endure multiple forms of victimization throughout their lives. In these cases, substance use could stem from prior trauma, such as childhood abuse or intimate partner violence. There have also been documented cases in which men have left their partners while dying of an overdose, yet these deaths have not been recognized by the state as feminicide. 

Since the State does not include all the categories and subcategories of feminicide outlined by the Latin American Model Protocol for the Investigation of Gender-Related Violent Deaths of Women (UN Women), only a small number of gender-related deaths are visible at the State level. This creates a false perception that gender-based violence is not a serious public health issue. The Observatory’s data have not only gained visibility in Puerto Rico but internationally. Through various alliances, our data and research have been consulted by over 45 countries around the world. Currently, we are part of the Latin American Map of Feminicides and the Marielle Franco Monitor, which collects data on hate crimes.  

The cost of ignoring the data on gender-based violence is the continued loss of women’s lives across the archipelago. The situation faced by women, girls, and transgender people in Puerto Rico is alarming. Sadly, gender violence, feminicides, and the number of missing women and girls continue to rise despite the fact that non-profit organizations, including the Observatory, have denounced the crisis and continue to offer solutions to address this emergency. The State has not used the data to fully understand the problem and ensure that legislative decision-making in Puerto Rico is guided by evidence and scientific analysis. An example of this was the 2019 push to relax firearm regulations, which ultimately led to the passage of supportive legislation.

In 2019, 47% of intimate feminicides were committed with firearms. By 2024, the figure had risen to 75%, and this year it has increased to 88%.

This is a trend that is particularly pronounced in Puerto Rico when we look at Latin America or Asia, where feminicides are more commonly carried out with bladed weapons or other methods. The lethality of firearms is extremely high, as a single shot can end a person’s life. This underscores the consequences of failing to use data to inform legislation. 

When we analyze the data, we address the root of the problem. Every piece of data, every story, and every face reminds us that gender-based violence is not a statistic, but an urgent and lived reality. It is not enough to document losses; we must transform the system, demand accountability, and ensure that no life is treated as disposable. Our commitment is clear: to turn information into action, accountability into change, and monitoring into a tool that saves lives.

—

The Fundación de Mujeres en Puerto Rico supported the Gender Equity Observatory because we understand that without accurate and sensitive data, gender-based violence in our country will continue to be invisible and neglected. We are committed to strengthening the Observatory’s operational capacity because its work of documentation, analysis, and monitoring is essential to transforming public policies and ensuring a real response to the emergency of feminicides and disappearances. Investing in the Observatory is investing in truth, justice, and the protection of our communities.