The Chilean Constitution does not contain explicit provisions addressing violence against women.
In 2022, Chile attempted to reform its Constitution through a draft prepared by a Constitutional Convention, which included explicit protections against gender-based violence, but the proposal was rejected in the national referendum held on September 4, 2022.
1. Law No. 21,675 to prevent, punish and eradicate gender based violence against women and girls (2024)
Other relevant provisions:
2. Law No. 21,212 on the legal definition of femicide (2020)
3. Law No 21,389 on economic violence (2021)
The National Action Plan Against Violence Against Women 2021-2030 acts as the national strategy to end violence against women, by outlining strategic priorities on prevention, protection, access to justice, and knowledge production, which guide the country’s national policy direction, in line with international frameworks. This Plan was redesigned in 2022 and updated in 2023, under the leadership of the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity.
The National Action Plan Against Violence Against Women 2021-2030 acts as the national strategy to end violence against women, by outlining strategic priorities on prevention, protection, access to justice, and knowledge production, which guide the country’s national policy direction, in line with international frameworks. This Plan was redesigned in 2022 and updated in 2023, under the leadership of the Ministry of Women and Gender Equity.
1. Law No. 21.643, to prevent and address harassment in the workplace (2024)
2. Law No. 21,369, regulating sexual harassment, violence and gender discrimination in the field of higher education (2021)
3. Law No 21.153 penalizing sexual harassment in public spaces (2019)
Marital rape was explicitly criminalized in 2018 with Law No. 21.212 (as an amendment to the Penal Code).
1. Article 102 of the Civil Code establishes the principle of equality in marriage.
2. Law No. 21.210 (2020), reforming the Civil Code on Family Law, reinforcing gender equality in family matters including the equal treatment of men and women in management of assets, custody of children, parental rights, and shared responsibility in child-rearing and household management.
3. Law No. 20.830 (2015) established that marriage laws apply equally to both spouses (including same sex) with no distinction between men and women
Law No. 21.515, 2022, which modifies law No. 19.947 on Civil Marriage, which amends various legal bodies to establish the legal age of adulthood as an essential requirement for the celebration of marriage.
Law No. 21.515, 2022, which modifies law No. 19.947 on Civil Marriage, which amends various legal bodies to establish the legal age of adulthood as an essential requirement for the celebration of marriage.
The Ministry of Women and Gender Equity is the main coordinating body for issues related to violence against women and girls.
Intersectoral Femicide Circuit (CIF), is a coordination mechanism led by the National Service for Women and Gender Equality that brings together institutions such as the police, judiciary, health services, and social protection systems to ensure a comprehensive, timely, and coordinated response in cases of femicide or high-risk intimate partner violence against women.
Chile does not have standalone specialized courts dedicated to violence against women cases. However, the country has Family Courts and Criminal Courts (established under Law No. 19.968) which address family conflicts, including cases of violence against women, through a multidisciplinary approach. These courts are supported by psychologists and social workers, and operate through oral, immediate, and transparent hearings.
In 2024, 185 judges and ministers—representing 11.2% of the judiciary workforce—completed training on gender-based violence.
The Cooperación de Asistencia Judicial (CAJ) is the primary public institution providing free legal aid services, through regional offices across the country.
Additionally, the SernamEG operates a network of Women’s Centers offering legal assistance for survivors.
Chile has two police institutions: Carabineros de Chile, responsible for public order and prevention, and Policia de Investigaciones (PDI), focused on criminal investigations.
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The Carabineros Police has 100 family rooms and 95 domestic violence offices, which are distributed in each Carabineros base unit nationwide.
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The Investigative Police has 138 police stations with on-call services specialized in receiving gender based violence-related complaints.
In 2024, 954 personnel from the Investigative Police of Chile received training on gender-based violence, including staff from operational and administrative units, police officer candidates, students from the professional training center, and personnel from the National Headquarters of Education and Doctrine. 914 individuals attended a course on gender based violence, and 40 attended a specialized certificate program on gender based violence.
Additionally, 110 Carabineros officers were certified in a 40-hour “Certified Training for Family Rooms and Domestic Violence Offices” program, delivered nationwide in a blended learning format by Carabineros de Chile in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality and other national institutions.
Data on women accessing police services in Chile come from two distinct institutions: Carabineros de Chile and Policia de Investigaciones:
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Carabineros de Chile reports 171,573 women accessing police services (active cases and complaints) due to gender based violence at the national level in 2024. Carabineros recommends noting the number is subject to a margin of error with respect to other institutional publications.
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The Investigative Police recorded 1,277 reports of intimate partner violence in 2024. The institution highlights that this does not necessarily reflect a low incidence, but rather difficulties in reporting or judicial classification.
Chile offers a comprehensive network of services for women experiencing gender-based violence, coordinated by the National Service for Women and Gender Equality (SernamEG). These services are grouped into two main programs:
1. Initial Attention Program for Gender-Based Violence, providing immediate, accessible support to women survivors of violence through nationwide phone, online, and in-person services.
Service Channels:
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122 Women’s Centers (regionally distributed)
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1 National Center for Deaf Women
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SATT (Telephonic and Telematic Assistance System), which includes:
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1455 National Phone Line
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WhatsApp Assistance Channel
2. Program for the Recovery of Autonomy, providing residential protection, legal aid, and comprehensive support for women over 18 years old in situations of severe or life-threatening violence.
Service Infrastructure:
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34 Temporary Residences (nationwide)
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24 Specialized Care Centers
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14 Specialized Triads (embedded within Women’s Centers)
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46 Territorial Lawyers (based in care centers)
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25 Regional Lawyers (based in each SernamEG regional office)
National Service for Women and
Gender Equity (SernamEG) is the public body in Chile responsible for implementing policies, plans and programmes. It operates under the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality.
The total number excludes duplication between embedded units, such as triads within Women’s Centers, and considers each service unit or channel as one distinct service.
The number of women accessing social services in not publicly available.
Chile’s health system includes GES 86, an Explicit Health Guarantee ensuring standardized physical and psychological care for all women - public and private - within 72 hours of sexual violence.
The number of women who have accessed public care by GES 86, for sexual violence, according to the FONASA-SIGGES registry, from October 2022 to April 30, 2025, is 4,888.
