A look into Mexico’s femicide state

DAILY REVIEW

Issue 4

Femicide, the peak on gender violence.

20 th May DAILY REVIEW

PINK CROSSES HAVE BECOME THE INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL AGAINST FEMICIDE VIOLENCE

A look into Mexico’s femicide state by [Jesus Diaz Moreno]

Femicide is nowadays one of the most common crimes in Mexico. There is no official figures, but yet there is a nonceasing registry of women missing or found dead and the cases still increasing.

Transnational companies began to establish their manufactures in the cities near the border with the US looking for cheap hand labor in places like Ciudad Juarez for its strategic location.

Hundreds of women in Mexico are victims of gender violence every year. The term femicide is understood by a social, cultural and political phenomenon that threatens the lives of women due to their gender condition. The femicide cases are characterised by the use of extreme violence motivated by misogyny, and it is often the result of prior emotional and physical abuses within the domestic environment. Women suffering from gender violence are tortured, humiliated, sexual abused, murdered and even dismembered and dumped into rivers, motorways,..

The profile of the women that is exposed to femicide violence is the one of a young woman, single mother or teen, often from a really poor background that works or goes to school. The most common case in Ciudad Juarez is the one of the “maquiladoras”, young ladies that work for transnational companies doing repetitive manual jobs.

The femicide issue started to become more noticeable around 1994. With the signature of the NAFTA agreement on free trade between Mexico, Canada and the US.

With a low paid salary, these women reside in suburban areas outside the cities, where the conditions are harsh and precarious and there is little presence of security or police. “In a larger extent we are looking at cultural, institutional and economic violence, all this things that put women at risk for these types of physical violence” (Driver, 2015).

United Nations officials place Mexico among the world’s 20 worst countries for violence against women.

63% Inegi statistics reveal that a 63 percent of Mexican women over 15 years of age have experienced some form of gender violence

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But why femicide cases continue to raise? In this situation, it is notorious that there is something more than isolated homicides. In terms of addressing those responsible for these events, the answer lies in a complex infrastructure where different sectors of the Mexican society appear to be represented. Apart from those committing this horrible crimes, the government is contributing to the succession of these cases. Instead of taking action on the matter and tackling the issue from its roots, the Mexican government is looking away and treating the femicide issue as a minor problem, current of the large metropolis. Hiding behind arguments such “the bigger the population is, the bigger are the chances for this crimes to happen”. This in fact, is implicit by the moral stigma and the patriarchal values in which the society rests, which blame women for their fate. The current president Enrique Peña Nieto, showed his support to the femicide victims and families during his electoral campaign with a development plan for 2013-2018 for the eradication of gender violence. However this was seen as an electoral promise as nowadays these plan reminds unimplemented. Mexican society regards gender violence as something normal and socially accepted, which in practice hardens the prosecution of those responsible. The inactivity of governments and authorities grant protection and impunity of the abusers. If the governors are turning a deaf ear and omitting what is happening, consequently, public ministries, prosecutors, proficients and police officers, responsible of these investigations will treat the issue in the same way. Due to Mexico’s disarrangement on its judicial system, the crime investigation is never likely to succeed. Most cases are not explored in depth despite the

existence of evidences for a broader investigation. Cases are early closed; alleging suicide or death under unknown conditions. As a result of the vague research and the non-continuity of the cases, any progression is undermined as the responsible remains unpunished. Police officers often question the culpability of the victims, relating their deaths with gang and drug violence, rather than looking at violence due to gender condition. Shielding behind pretexts such as, “femicide victims frequent bad companies” or “they go around provoking with short skirts”. As the there is no interest in covering what is happening, the public media in Mexico remains silent. For journalists it is hard to report the femicide cases due to the presence of police as it difficulties data collection. They also require a specific permit to be present at the crime scene, which is issued by government agencies that at the same time aren't allowed to concede those permits. Therefore the only testimony remaining is the one of the families that in most cases won't speak because of possible reprisals or coercion.

KILLINGS (1993 -2011)

Ciudad Juarez and the State of Mexico are considered to be the Hot-spots on Femicide violence Between 1993-2004 is estimated that 1530 women were killed in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua (Source Colef) During the period 2005-2011 is estimated that 1997 women were killed in the State of Mexico. (Health Ministry)

24% Only 24 percent of the 3,892 femicides the group identified in 2012 - 2013 were investigated by authorities

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ADVOCACY

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& support

Following these events, different advocacy groups against gender violence have been organised by families and local collectives. The most active nowadays is the ‘Observatorio Ciudadano Nacional del Feminicidio’ a citizen platform conformed by 36 organizations on human rights located throughout the different Mexican regions. The observatory seeks to grant the recognition of women human rights within the society and the access to justice for women and victims of gender discrimination. The competences carried out by the observatory include public demonstrations, the promotion of awareness campaigns, data collection and lobbying. Pressuring the government to recognise and face the issue by implementing an effective plan to reduce the cases on gender violence is one of the core objectives of the organization. However, countless times petitions on declaring a state wide gender alert to prioritise femicide investigations has been rejected as the petitions never met the governors.

In 2011 the State of Mexico approved several reforms in the legislation surrounding gender violence. These reforms were passed through penal proceedings, the term femicide was recognised and penalties of 60 years in prison were included in the penal code. However, despite the general law for women to access to a violence-free life included the definition of femicide violence, in practice the term has not been recognised and addressed properly by the Mexican authorities as the management and investigation of the crimes keeps leaking. This is illustrated as well by a widespread sense of

In this context, the relatives of the victims are legally unprotected. As

inefficiency within the judicial system as the

they come from really impoverished sectors of the population, the

legal resolution of the cases remains in the same

affected families lack of the economic resources and clouts needed to be

situation.

provided with a fair trial. Therefore a larger part of the cases fail to be reported as the families lack from resources and fear to be extorted due to police negligence. Today without media pressure and the support from platforms and organizations the achievement of a fair resolution in a femicide case is nearly impossible.

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Sigh for the

FUTURE The gender equality situation in Mexico is going through a complicated period where the society is challenging the recognition of rights and freedoms of women. In order to counteract the femicide crisis in Mexico, being Ciudad Juárez and the State of Mexico the hot-spots. The Mexican government would have to put into practice several important reforms towards a more peaceful society that respects and ensures the compliance of human rights to its women and girls.

Irinea Buendia calls her daughter's death a case of femicide and not suicide. Photo: Clayton Conn / teleSUR

The government would have to grant the fully ratification

The introduction of a larger number of women workforce

of international and regional treaties that cover the issue

within public institutions would not only foster gender

on granting human rights for women. Not only ratified

equality and integration, but also would help to bring

them, but also adopt stricter laws that prosecute the

freedom and economic autonomy to women. Because,

aggressors, but at the same time, laws that protect the

despite the presence of abusive practices, economical

women that survived gender violence. Facilitating

dependency is a factor that attach women to a

restraining orders, psychological support and assistance

relationship. The empowerment of women in society to a

through national institutions that operate according to the

larger extent is fostered in secondary education. Basic

international standards in crime victim services.

education enables students to widen their future opportunities and shows the girls that they have rights

For the elimination of women discrimination within the Mexican society and in order to prevent more femicide deaths; the administration needs to provide security for women, because security is a tool to freedom. This can be achieved by opening emergency lines and forming institutions in charge to assist those who have been victims of abuse. Ensuring that the cases are progressing in a good track, but also giving legal advice and support.

that have to be respected and legally protected. Finally, it is important for the Mexican population to consensus a public opinion that denies the traditional pretexts placed upon women. Public opinion can be inspired by the creation of national networks formed by public institutions, mass media and advocacy groups that denounce women’s rights violations on a daily basis. Therefore, leading to a more pacific society that respects and safeguards women’s integrity.

It is also important to revise the way the workers in the public services are being trained, as a way to avoid corruption and guarantee a good output and quality service that sticks to the current regulations.

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Daily Review

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Sources http://www.unwomen.org/es/news/in-focus/end-violenceagainst-women/2011/16-steps-policy-agenda http://www.unwomen.org/es/what-we-do/ending-violenceagainst-women/preve http://observatoriofeminicidiomexico.org.mx/

43 Dover Street London, W1S 4LQ

http://www.unwomen.org/en/digitallibrary/publications/2013/2/violence-and-femicide-in-mexicocharacteristics-trends-and-new-expressions-in-the-states-ofmexico#view Alice Driver (2015) http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/highlight/55199f34fe344422e 40014cd http://endvawnow.org/es/articles/483-ordenes-de-protecciony-de-alejamiento.html