that were perpetrated in the context of military dictatorships in previous decades continued to deny victims and their families truth, justice and reparation. However, in Argentina former de facto President Reynaldo Bignone was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in hundreds of enforced disappearances during a regionwide intelligence operation; 14 other military officers were also sentenced to prison terms. The rulings were a positive step for justice that, it was hoped, might open the door to further investigations. Although progress to address impunity in Guatemala was slow, in a landmark decision two former military officials were found guilty of crimes against humanity for the sexual and domestic slavery and sexual violence they inflicted on Indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ women. In July, El Salvador’s Supreme Court declared the Amnesty Law unconstitutional. This marked an important step forward for justice for crimes under international law and other human rights violations committed during the 1980-1992 armed conflict. In Haiti, no progress was made in the investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed by former President Jean-Claude Duvalier and his former collaborators. RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS States made little headway in tackling violence against women and girls. This included failing to protect them from rape and killings as well as failing to hold perpetrators accountable. Reports of genderbased violence came from Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Jamaica, Nicaragua, the USA and Venezuela, among other countries. Numerous violations of sexual and reproductive rights had a significant impact on the health of women and girls. The Americas had the highest number of countries with a total ban on abortion. In some countries, women were thrown in prison simply for being suspected of having 30 had an abortion, sometimes after suffering miscarriages. Women living in poverty across Nicaragua continued to be the main victims of maternal mortality, and the country had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the region. Women there were also subjected to some of the world’s harshest abortion laws; abortion remained banned in all circumstances, even when vital to save a woman’s life. In the Dominican Republic, a reform to the Criminal Code that would decriminalize abortion in certain cases was again delayed. Legislative reform proposed to decriminalize abortion in Chile continued to be discussed. There were, however, small signs of hope. In El Salvador, a court decision to release María Teresa Rivera – who had served four years of a 40-year prison sentence after miscarrying her pregnancy – was a step towards justice in a country where women were treated appallingly. In another human rights victory, a woman sentenced to eight years in prison in Argentina after having a miscarriage was released from detention after a Supreme Court ruling that there were insufficient reasons to keep her detained. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS In June, the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the OAS, after 17 years of negotiations. In spite of this, Indigenous Peoples across the Americas continued to be victims of violence as well as killings and excessive use of force by the police, with their rights over their land, territory, natural resources and culture often abused. The daily reality for thousands was a life overshadowed by exclusion, poverty, inequality and systemic discrimination – including in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Paraguay. State and non-state actors – including landowners and businesses – were responsible for forcibly displacing Indigenous Peoples from their own land, in the pursuit of their own economic profit. Amnesty International Report 2016/17