Uruguay's Gender Violence Courts Have No Funding

Uruguay's Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) announced that it did not have the financial resources to create three gender-based violence courts, although the 2020-2024 Budget Law allocated funds for their establishment.

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"This was already decided and we had a hard time getting it through Parliament," National Women's Institute (INMUJERES) director Monica Bottero said, stressing that "these courts must be created.

She explained that Congress did not repeal an article of the "Violence Against Women Act," which forces courts to be overburdened with various legal matters.

This in turn forced the Supreme Court to send a letter to President Luis Lacalle informing him that the gender-related courts could not be installed.

"All parties voted in favor of funding... We are surprised that the SCJ says it has no budget," Broad Front lawmaker Liliam Kechichian recalled.

The Intersocial Feminist spokesperson Valeria Caggiano said the non-implementation of new gender courts causes much concern and asked the judicial system to provide "guarantees" to women living with violence, especially in the country’s northern side where "women are having a worse time".

"Due to cultural reasons, denouncing gender violence is very difficult in rural areas. When women do it, they have to go through several courts," she said, explaining that the new courts are intended to avoid procedures and the "re-victimization" of women.