Peru: Following transgender complaints, Peru cancels “gender-based lockdown”

Peru canceled a controversial measure restricting public movement by gender to try to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, after just over a week. A decree in the official gazette stated that instead of men and women leaving their homes on alternate days “to buy food, pharmaceutical products and perform financial operations, only one person per family unit can move from Monday to Saturday.”

As with the previous measure, announced on April 2, no one is allowed out on Sundays under Peru's lockdown.

The gender-based lockdown measure was criticized by transgender activists worried that it would lead to greater discrimination. Read more via MercoPress

There will be no more circulation differentiated by sex! From tomorrow, only one person per family will travel and on Sundays no one leaves

The morning of this Friday, the Supreme Decree No. 064-2020-PCM was published in El Peruano, which extends the State of National Emergency for the serious circumstances that affect the life of the nation as a result of COVID-19 and dictates other measures, One of them is that, since Saturday, April 11, only one person per family will travel, thus eliminating the differentiated circulation by sex imposed.

In point 8 of article 3 of the decree, it is specified that "only one person is allowed to move per family nucleus from Monday to Saturday" and that compulsory immobilization will continue on Sunday, that is, NOBODY GOES OUT ON SUNDAYS.

In dialogue with Peru21, Farid Matuk, a member of the Prospectiva Group, which recommends actions on the coronavirus to the government, acknowledged that the movement permit by gender was an error. instead, "he said," that it should have been given four days of departure for women and two for men.

"I personally criticize myself. I participated in the decision, considered that it was appropriate, considered that in the fight against patriarchy a balance had to be struck between men and women ... I think it was more practical, for example, to have given women four days and men two days ”Said economist Farid Matuk, member of the aforementioned working group, in dialogue with Peru21.TV .

He said that, in order to make corrections, a committee of social scientists has been created since Wednesday to look at this and other issues. Read more via Peru21