A/HRC/41/33/Add.1 any discrimination based on sex, race, class and any other reason that is harmful to human dignity is punishable. In the past decades, a number of laws relevant to women’s rights and gender equality were adopted, including the Equal Opportunities for Women Act (2000), the Domestic Violence Act (2006), Decree No. 54-2012 amending the Elections and Political Organizations Act and establishing quotas to increase the political participation of women (2012), Decree No. 23-2013 criminalizing femicide (2013), the Responsible Parenting Act (2013), the Act for the Protection of Earnings and Regularization of Informal Employment (2013), Decree No. 27-2015 on equal pay (2015) and the Act on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Social Communicators and Justice Officials (2015). 9. During the visit, the experts were informed that several relevant draft laws were scheduled in Congress, such as bills regulating domestic work, agrarian reform, violence against women in politics, transgender peoples’ rights and shelter houses for victims of violence and a comprehensive law on violence against women. The Working Group hopes that any shortcomings in these bills will be remedied (see relevant sections below) and that they will be passed without undue delay. 3. Challenges 10. However, according to the information received during the visit, this solid legal framework is not systematically implemented in practice and there is a need for better coordination between the relevant actors for it to be effective. Furthermore, there is still room for the improvement of laws and policies, such as on the political participation of women and domestic work (as detailed in para. 29 and 42 respectively). As for the legal framework on gender-based violence, the numerous provisions applicable might create some lack of clarity (see paras. 56). The very restrictive legislation on sexual and reproductive rights represents a major gap in the State’s fulfilment of its international obligations (see paras. 50–51). B. Institutional and policy framework 11. The Working Group welcomes the adoption of numerous policies aimed at promoting women’s rights and gender equality, such as the second plan for gender equality and equity (2010–2022), the national plan against violence towards women (2014–2022) and the policy and national action plan against commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons (2016–2022). 12. The Working Group welcomes the considerable efforts deployed by the National Institute for Women, which is responsible for promoting and coordinating the implementation of policies on gender equality and the integration of women into sustainable development efforts. It regrets that the Institute was downgraded from a ministry to a directorate under the Social Inclusion Office. The State has to reinforce the national machinery promoting and protecting women’s rights and allocate the necessary financial and human resources to ensure the effective implementation of gender equality policies, in line with its international obligations. It is essential that the Institute’s role in promoting and coordinating gender equality policies be reinforced and that its mandate be strengthened vis-à-vis other entities of the executive. 13. The Working Group notes with appreciation the Ciudad Mujer initiative, launched in 2016. The initiative, led by the National Institute for Women, provides for a network of services offered by 16 relevant agencies in relation to protection from violence, economic empowerment, sexual and reproductive health and community education focused on human rights. These comprehensive services are provided free of charge to any woman who needs them, and childcare is provided while women use services that they need. However, the initiative is not used as much as expected by women survivors of violence, one of its limitations being that it does not operate around the clock. The experts hope that this 4