In October an internal dialogue in the armed forces will begin about human rights policies and cultural diversity. The process to start this dialogue started in 2011 and this past March gender equality became one of its main hubs. 

The Human Rights Directorate is leading the charge. Last month, the office of this directorate became a part of the Ministry of Defense. Before that, it was a dependency of a vice-ministry.

The director, María Fernanda Carrillo, says her office is empowered not only to receive and investigate complaints of alleged discrimination. They can also do surprise visits to army, navy, and air force barracks to examine the conditions.

The Minister of Defense, María Fernanda Espinosa, says that human rights policies were created for the armed forces during the current government, and have made Ecuador a reference point for the world.

The Constitution, she says, forbids any sort of discrimination, including sexual orientation, and there will be “zero tolerance” for acts that violate that.

For a country that for decades has had obligatory military service for men aged 18, this proces, including creating gender equality in the armed forces, is a long game.

To guarantee that the policies are followed, a sistem for monitoring human rights complaints has been created. So far, four cases have been opened which were filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Original story