United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024, Online Edition. Estimates 2024.
Proportion of ever-partnered women aged 18-69 years experiencing intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime. Source: Bott S, Guedes A, Ruiz-Celis AP, Mendoza JA. Intimate partner violence in the Americas: A systematic review and reanalysis of national prevalence estimates. Based on data from the 2003 International Violence against Women Survey in Costa Rica, originally published in: Johnson H, Ollus N, Nevala S. 2008. Violence against Women: An International Perspective. New York: Springer.
Proportion of ever-partnered women aged 18-69 years experiencing intimate partner physical and/or sexual violence in the last 12 months. Source: Bott S, Guedes A, Ruiz-Celis AP, Mendoza JA. Intimate partner violence in the Americas: A systematic review and reanalysis of national prevalence estimates. Based on data from the 2003 International Violence against Women Survey in Costa Rica, originally published in: Johnson H, Ollus N, Nevala S. 2008. Violence against Women: An International Perspective. New York: Springer.
(1) Strengthen measures to prevent gender-based violence against women, as well as victim support services, including adequate shelters, free legal assistance and psychosocial counselling, in particular in remote rural and border areas; (2) Prohibit the practice of so-called conversion therapy and other forced, involuntary or otherwise coercive or abusive treatment performed on lesbian, bisexual and transgender women by approving draft law No. 20.970 without delay; (3) Prohibit non-essential medical or surgical treatment of intersex children, including girls, before they are of sufficient age or maturity to take autonomous decisions and give their free, prior and informed consent; adopt and implement human rights-based health-care protocols for intersex children, including girls, that uphold their autonomy and physical integrity, and ensure that intersex children and their families have access to peer support and free legal assistance, medical and psychosocial services; (4) Amend all relevant legislation to prohibit and eliminate de facto unions between adults and children.
The Committee recommends that the State party amend Law No. 9406 on improper relations to ensure that births to girls and adolescents are fully reported with the father's details, and expand the National Child Care and Development Network to enable rural, Indigenous, Afrodescendent and migrant women to access its care services.
(1) Allocate sufficient human, technical and financial resources to the implementation of the national policy against human trafficking (2020–2030) and strengthen the early identification and referral of women and girls victims of trafficking to appropriate services, especially in border areas and the Pacific coastal zones; (2) Allocate sufficient funding to the National Fund against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants to ensure adequate support services for victims of trafficking, including shelters, psychosocial counselling and reintegration programmes; (3) Provide accessible and timely information on the illicit practices of trafficking and migrant smuggling networks to women and girls at risk of trafficking, in particular migrant women and girls in transit and/or in an irregular situation, refugee and asylum-seeking women and girls, including in the languages of the main migrant populations in the State party such as Haitians and Africans, and strengthen cooperation with and State funding for non governmental organizations that operate shelters and provide support services to victims of trafficking; (4) Adopt legislation to stop child sex tourism throughout the State party.
The Constitution does not contain provisions on violence against women, but it enshrines equality and non-discrimination.
Law No. 8589, penalizing violence against women, 2007.
Additionally, Costa Rica also has law No. 7586, on domestic violence, 1996
PLANOVI: National policy for Addressing and Preventing Violence Against Women (2017-2032)