In response, women organized and managed to make some progress. According to data from the National Statistics and Census Institute, unemployment in Ecuador rose from 9.2 percent in November 1997 to 11.5 percent in the same month of 1998 and 14.4 percent in 1999, reaching 25.2 percent in 2000. In this context of rising unemployment, women's participation in the labor market is particularly affected. According to the 1999 Human Rights Report published by the US State Department, one of the most pressing problems in Ecuador is the discrimination against women, which is particularly manifest in cases of domestic violence. According to data provided by the Committee on Women, Children and the Family of the Ecuadorian Congress, seven of every 10 Ecuadorian women are abused.
Domestic violence makes no distinctions in terms of education level, social status or religion.
In recent years, the number of women who are better educated and have greater possibilities for accessing the labor market in Peru has increased significantly. However, in countries such as Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, their participation has begun to increase. 5.2 Women's participation in the labor market Women's participation in the labor market has risen sharply in recent decades. Nearly half of the economically active population in urban areas is female. The gap between the participation of poor women and those from other social sectors is also narrowing.