Ecuador - March 2025

New legislation called the Organic Law to Improve the Economy of Ecuador’s Women Entrepreneurs entered into force after its publication on 10 March. The executive-initiated bill had passed in the National Assembly the previous month. Its object is to improve women’s economic empowerment through measures such as preferential access to credit, tax exemptions, simplified administrative procedures, and mentorship and collaborative financing programs and networks. Women who enrol in the National Entrepreneurship Registry will also be able to access free legal and economic advice, scholarships and training programs on subjects such as technology and business management. 

Sources: Asamblea Nacional, Naranjo Martinez & Subia, El Comercio, Prensa Latina, Primicias

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights found Ecuador responsible for rights violations against the Tagaeri and Taromenane Peoples, who are Indigenous communities living in voluntary isolation. Since 1999, Ecuadorian law established an ‘Intangible Tagaeri and Taromenane Zone’ (ITTZ), in which extractive activities are prohibited. Omissions in implementation contributed to delays and inaccuracies in its demarcation and the proliferation of oil drilling sites in prohibited areas, including in the Yasuní national park. The Court also found (and Ecuador partially admitted) the state’s responsibility for its failure to prevent acts of violence against the Tagaeri and Taromenane peoples and the abduction of two young girls. The Ecuadorian state was ordered to establish a commission to evaluate ITTZ implementation and take administrative and legislative measures to fully comply with the 2023 referendum in which people voted to end oil drilling in the Yasuní. The government will have to inform the Court on the actions taken within one year.

Sources: Inter-American Court of Human Rights, El Comercio, EFE, CNN, Primicias, International IDEA (1), International IDEA (2)