Peru: Following the Footsteps of the US in Eliminating “Gender” and Promoting Traditional Values
By: Marcela Ventura
“Es una victoria para los cristianos y para todos aquellos que defendemos la vida y la familia,” declared Congresswoman Milagros Jáuregui de Aguayo, which translates to a victory for Christians and for all who defend life and family. Jáuregui’s statement comes after successfully spearheading the passing of a new law in Congress that eliminates the use of gender-centered approaches in state policy. The changes, which have gained little media attention and are now approved by Peru’s Congress, replace any reference to gender with the idea of “equality of opportunities between men and women,” and restructure sexual-education standards across the country.
This shift is a deliberate political move to restrict how identity, equality, and human rights are understood in public institutions. It mirrors similar efforts in the United States to limit discussions of gender, sexuality, and inclusion in schools and government programs. Both countries have based their claims in religion and the preservation of traditional values.
Jáuregui—who currently sits on the Women and Family Commission—has become a leading voice for this agenda. She has previously criticized the idea of gender as a spectrum, despite gender being widely understood as a socially constructed idea that evolves with time. During a congressional hearing earlier this year, she made devastating comments about the LGBTQ+ community, stating Peru is “fighting a cultural battle” and “cannot allow humans to behave like animals.” Her comments dismissed same-sex relations, painting them as harmful and corruptive for society.
The 79 congressional votes in favor of this law make it clear that Jáuregui is not alone. In 2024, Dina Boluarte, former president of Peru, signed a decree deeming transgender people as suffering from mental health issues. Although the Ministry of Health later explained that it was done with the hopes of expanding mental health access to privately insured transgender Peruvians, after nationwide protests abated. Peru also continues to be one of the few countries in the region that does not recognize same-sex marriage or civil unions, further reflecting the government’s lack of support for advancing LGBTQ+ rights.
Multiple organizations, including Amnesty International and local and regional human rights groups, have issued a joint statement urging the Peruvian Government to reconsider this law due to its far-reaching implications. Redefining gender as strictly “men and women” excludes nonbinary and transgender individuals from legal recognition and policy consideration. Additionally, replacing Comprehensive Sexual Education (Educación Sexual Integral) with a ”scientific, biological, and ethical” model opens space for curricula that reflect religious or ideological preferences rather than evidence-based, inclusive-centered frameworks. This change will have ripple effects across classrooms, particularly for students who rely on school spaces for accurate information about identity, consent, and health. This will specifically affect those individuals attending public school, who tend to come from low-income households and are already facing systemic disadvantages.
The impacts extend beyond LGBTQ+ Peruvians. Research shows that comprehensive sexual education reduces teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, increases reporting of abuse, and improves gender-based violence prevention. By weakening these programs and reinforcing a narrow understanding of gender roles, Peru risks deepening existing inequalities, especially for marginalized populations. For example, members of the LGBTQ+ community experience intimate partner violence at the same rate, if not more, than their cisgender and heterosexual peers, but many times it goes unreported due to the stigma placed on this community.
In a country where gender-based violence remains a pressing human rights crisis, removing gender-sensitive frameworks is not only counterproductive—it is dangerous. A 2021 study by Partners in Health showed that transgender women in Peru face regular discrimination and violence. Reducing institutional acknowledgement of gender diversity only increases the likelihood that this violence will remain invisible and unreported.
While in theory this law does not apply directly to the private sphere, the private sector could still experience its repercussions. If any private institutions receive government assistance, they may be torn between continuing operations and adhering to the new changes. Even if they did not receive government subsidies, board members or donors might still want to abide by government regulations out of fear of facing any consequences.
Ultimately, this law does more than define terminology. It represents a broader political project aimed at reinstating rigid, traditional values at the expense of human rights and democratic inclusion. By erasing gender as a spectrum of identities and limiting access to comprehensive sexual education, Peru is closing off pathways toward equality, safety, and dignity for those who do not fit into a legally sanctioned binary. It also sets a dangerous precedent; once government narratives are rewritten around “biological” identities, further restrictive legislation becomes easier to justify.
Peru is not just following the footsteps of the United States—it is accelerating down a path where ideological agendas reshape education, policy, and citizenship. As history has shown, rolling back rights rarely stops at one law, especially if the goal is to keep a group out of the picture.