Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is a semi-autonomous territory of the United States. The Constitution of Puerto Rico states that “all men are equal and no discrimination may be made on the basis of race, colour, [and] gender (…)”, thereby upholding the principle of equality between men and women. However, the country has not ratified CEDAW. Its “territory” status means that it cannot sign international agreements or instruments, and also makes it very difficult to obtain information about the situation of women. It is known, however, that social stereotypes prevail regarding the role of women. In 2001, the government established a Bureau for the Defence of Women (Oficina de la Procuradora de las Mujeres). A very large number of Puerto Rican households are headed by single women, who generally have low incomes.