On February 25, 2026, the Government of Uruguay announced a landmark step in addressing online gender-based violence, initiating formal consideration of the Inter-American Model Law on Digital Violence against Women.
Vice President Carolina Cosse pledged that Parliament would take up the debate this year. “I commit to ensuring that Parliament discusses this in 2026,” she said, underscoring that the year would mark a deepening of Uruguay’s transformative rights agenda. “Violence and fear in all their forms are humanity’s worst enemies,” Cosse added, emphasizing the urgency of preventing, limiting, and eradicating violence in every sphere, including the digital environment.
The initiative responds to stark national data. A 2019 survey on gender- and generation-based violence found that eight out of ten Uruguayan women have experienced gender-based violence at some point in their lives. In the digital sphere specifically, 21% of women surveyed reported having been victims of violence on social media platforms.
Although Uruguay has advanced legislation on gender-based violence—most notably Law No. 19.580 of December 22, 2017—the country currently lacks specific legislation addressing digital violence. To close this gap, the government, in coordination with international organizations, will launch a broad social dialogue aimed at adapting the Inter-American Model Law to Uruguay’s legal framework and institutional reality.
The discussion and monitoring process will be carried out through the National Gender Council, which brings together more than 30 state institutions, business chambers, and civil society organizations. The goal is to strengthen existing regulatory frameworks and reinforce institutional responses to ensure women’s right to live free from violence in virtual spaces.
To kick off the process, the National Women’s Institute (Inmujeres), under the Ministry of Social Development, convened a high-level event at the Idea Vilariño Hall in the Telecommunications Tower. The meeting was organized in coordination with UN Women, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Follow-up Mechanism to the Belém do Pará Convention (Mesecvi), which developed the model law.
Cosse praised Mesecvi’s work in drafting the model framework and highlighted the opportunity to build upon Uruguay’s existing legal advances on gender-based violence. She reaffirmed her commitment to placing the issue at the center of the parliamentary agenda this year.
Mónica Xavier, director of Inmujeres, explained that the proposed framework establishes obligations not only for states but also for digital platforms and internet intermediaries. It promotes accountability, transparency, and efforts to close the gender digital divide, grounded in a human rights–based, gender-sensitive, intersectional, and culturally relevant approach, with a strong educational component.
“We do not want this to be only an institutional debate; we want citizens to take a leading role,” Xavier said, stressing the importance of active civil society participation in adapting the proposal.
Minister of Industry, Energy and Mining Fernanda Cardona emphasized the importance of having a concrete document to guide public discussion. “Regulatory frameworks are truly protective when they are developed through open, responsible debate—with and for the people,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister Valeria Csukasi warned that the speed of technological change often outpaces regulatory efforts. She described digital forms of sexual violence, coercion, and harassment as new mechanisms used to silence women. Highlighting the importance of multilateral cooperation, she argued that without a coordinated regional effort, countries risk limiting the conversation to isolated national dialogues rather than building an effective collective response.
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