ned in 1954. Its central laboratories are still located here. The building was donated by the Government of Guatemala. Although INCAP is funded primarily through quota contributions from PAHO member countries, it also receives loans from various agencies concerned with nutrition, agriculture, medicine, research, and related fields. PHOTO OF INCAP LABORATORY WORKERS INCAP laboratory technicians at work. The rapid evolution of techniques in microbiology during the 1950s made it possible to investigate the biochemical composition of foods, particularly proteins. PHOTO OF INCAP WORKER DURING HOUSEHOLD SURVEY This Guatemalan baby enjoys good health thanks, in large measure, to the activities of INCAP. An INCAP dietitian carefully notes the quantity and type of food consumed every day by the family. PHOTO OF INCAPARINA First sale of INCAPARINA in a store in Palín, Guatemala, 1960. This inexpensive product is similar to milk in nutritional value and has been a valuable instrument in the effort to combat protein-energy malnutrition among children. PHOTOS OF THE MAPS OF BARBADOS AND GUYANA (no caption) PHOTO OF THE TITLE PAGE OF CAJANUS Cajanus, the quarterly journal of CFNI, focuses on nutritional problems from a perspective that takes into account the socioeconomic and cultural realities in the countries of the Region. PHOTO OF THE GUATEMALAN DECREE ON FORTIFIED SUGAR The Government of Guatemala was the first to mandate compulsory enrichment of sugar with vitamin A. Sugar was selected for the fortification program because it was widely consumed, low in cost, and being produced in well-run, well- equipped mills. PHOTO OF PATIENTS WITH GOITER Endemic goiter is a major health problem in mountainous areas, especially in the Andean countries. It is characterized by a deforming enlargement of the thyroid gland and is the result of a shortage of iodine in the diet. Thanks to national salt iodization policies, endemic goiter has been significantly reduced in several countries of Latin America. PHOTOS OF INDIGENOUS IDOLS WITH GOITER (scattered) Endemic goiter has existed in the Americas since pre- Columbian times. Today it is an acknowledged public health problem which receives ongoing attention from PAHO. PHOTO OF IODIZED SALT Compulsory iodization of table salt in most of the countries in the Region has been the primary weapon in the battle against endemic goiter, cretinism, and other iodine-deficiency disorders. PHOTO OF CONOCIMIENTOS ACTUALES SOBRE NUTRICION This extensive classic work, originally published by PAHO and the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) in 1953 and currently in its sixth edition, is a notable example of the way in which the Organization has endeavored to provide up-to-date instructional materials to personnel working in the area of nutrition. `IDENTIFICATION` OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN IN THE LEGISLATION OF LATIN AMERICA Mónica Bolis * Introduction Violence is a widespread condition in all societies of the Region. Although it affects men as well as women, it affects the latter to a greater degree. Aggression towards women assumes various forms including physical, mental, and sexual abuse, and creates qualitative and quantitative consequences that differ from those for men. This is due to several factors; from the perspective embodied in the existing legal resources that ought to prevent it, to the possibility of activating the legal machinery destined to sanction it, violence against women finds favorable conditions in which to flourish. The fact that most modalities of abuse towards women are not defined in the legislation makes it impossible to correct them. Furthermore, this type of crime has remained, until very recently, hidden "in the realm of private life, family intimacy, feelings of guilt and shame, and up to certain point, traditional customs and culture". Finally, even in situations where there is broad legal coverage, "such regulatory progress has not been accompanied by a parallel improvement of relations in the sociological arena". The influence of these sociocultural factors produces a situation that is disadvantageous for women. Not only do they violate a woman's human rights, but they prevent her from having access to the same opportunities as men, to enjoy health as "a state of physical, mental, and social well-being". The existence and perpetuation of the phenomenon of violence against women, in addition to constituting a violation of human rights, is yet another form of discrimination against women, and a transgression of the principles contained in declarations and international conventions intended to prevent these aberrations. In some cases, the fundamental, basic legal standards of a specific legal system do not reflect the obligations that the State has assumed upon endorsement of the international instruments for the protection of human rights. In other cases, the adaptation of national legislation to the international provisions is only partial, or lacks the enforcement mechanisms necessary to ensure their application. This is not to imply that the solution to the problem of violence against women will come strictly from legislative reform, or from increasing the punishment of persons committing an offense. There is an intricate web of social factors that, together with a supportive legal regime, is required in order to achieve effective realization of human rights. However, the creation of an adequate legal framework is one of the fundamental mechanisms to establish a system that will ensure that humans live together in dignity. The question then arises, if it is clear that violence against women constitutes another violation of human rights, why do we speak of discrimination when referring to it? Even more so, why do we refer to international standards as one of the regulatory mechanisms to adapt legislation on the subject? Because violence against a woman is without doubt a consequence of unequal treatment towards her person, of a restricted conception of her value and the function that she fulfills in society. In many cases, these considerations pervade the legal framework and create situations that perpetuate the same conditions of violence that the very laws attempt to prevent. The reference to international law is also important. Although most of the international instruments on human rights do not refer explicitly to violence against women, they generally concur in regard to guaranteeing rights without distinction based on race, color, sex, language, religion, national origin, birth, or any another social condition. By incorporating the international provisions in its domestic law through ratification of a particular treaty or convention, the State is committed to adapting its legislation to the postulates contained therein, thus ensuring the coherence and logic of its legal system. Within the context of these preliminary observations, this chapter will analyze the legislation of Latin America to identify the sociocultural factors pertaining to gender that create favorable conditions for perpetrating violence against women. It will also point out those provisions that, in breaking with gender stereotypes, make it possible to prevent or avoid situations of violence against women, thus representing effective instruments for achieving equity between women and men with respect to enjoying the right to health. The term gender will refer to "the identity of men and women as determined by social factors (and that also explains the relations established between them)". The hypothesis used for the analysis argues that sociocultural factors create conditions of inequality that can restrict or limit the opportunities of women to enjoy, on equal terms with men, health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well- being. It is also argues that the influence of such factors in legislation limits the State in fulfilling the commitments required by its endorsement of the international instruments on human rights, in particular the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the American Convention on Human Rights (Pact of San José de Costa Rica) and the Additional Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights (Protocol of San Salvador). Finally, it is recognized that the solution to the problem of violence against women cannot be based exclusively on legislative reformulation, that is to say, it should not be limited to the penal, litigious, or administrative realms. What is also required is a change of attitude regarding the value of women, with a subsequent elimination of the hierarchical relationship between the sexes. Regarding the methodology used for analysis of the legal standards, it is important to point out that no attempt is made in this study to formulate value judgments with respect to the standards, but rather to determine the extent to which the existing provisions foster conditions that are conducive to the perpetration of violence against women. That is to say, up to what point these provisions create, taking into account contemporary expectations, conditions of inequality that allow the exercise of violence against women. Based on the previous discussion, the first items to be studied in this chapter will be the international conventions already mentioned, which provide a framework or support for a series of human rights principles whose validity has been recognized by the State. It will then analyze the general characteristics of legislation in Latin America concerning the treatment of violence in its different modalities. Finally, conclusions of the study will be formulated, and discussion encouraged to outline a series of principles that could serve as cornerstones in the reformulation of existing legislation. 1. International conventions