Cindy Arlette Contreras Bautista

Arlette Contreras is a Peruvian activist, lawyer, and domestic violence survivor. Her case, captured on video, sparked nationwide outrage and unprecedented demonstrations in Peru against gender-based violence. Arlette refused to accept the one-year suspended sentence her attacker received for the lesser charge of assault, after the court dismissed the more serious charges of attempted murder and rape. She joined forces with other survivors of domestic violence, civil society organizations, and regular citizens to launch Peru’s grass roots “Not One Woman Less” movement. Arlette’s leadership and outspoken advocacy against domestic violence galvanized a peaceful protest march of over a hundred thousand people that flooded downtown Lima in August 2016. Her actions greatly increased social and political awareness in Peru about women’s rights and gender-based violence. Despite threats against herself and her family, Arlette continues to fight for justice, inspiring women throughout the country to stand up for their rights.