Femicdes: Survivors of Gender Based Violence in Mexico Seek Justice
Jeysol Amaya's harrowing story of survival echoes the experiences of countless women in Mexico who have endured gender-based violence. Her traumatic ordeal, marked by a brutal stabbing attack by her former partner, sheds light on the pervasive issue of femicide and the challenges survivors face in seeking justice. Amaya's poignant question, "How do I know he is not going to try to do something when I go out to the street?" underscores the prevailing fear that lingers in the lives of survivors. In a country where 10 women and girls are killed every day by intimate partners or family members, the urgent need for change has galvanized a movement to end gender-based violence and foster a safer society for women.
Award-winning Mexican journalist, Goloira Piña, has been recognized for her powerful documentary that delves into the lives of women who have survived gender-based violence. Through touching interviews with survivors, lawyers, and women's rights defenders, the documentary sheds light on the urgent need for reform in Mexico. It serves as a rallying cry for survivors to break their silence and form alliances to rebuild their lives.
Piña's investigation uncovers a grim reality. The documentation of complaints and court sentences across Mexico reveals a systematic failure to bring perpetrators of gender-based violence to justice. Legal loopholes, negligence, a lack of gender perspective within the legal system, and entrenched harmful social norms allow the majority of violent attacks against women to go unpunished. This leaves survivors like Amaya without adequate protection, reparation, and accountability for the perpetrators.
Alarming statistics reveal the inadequacy of legal consequences for gender-based violence in Mexico. Out of the 1.7 million criminal investigations initiated for acts such as beatings, burns, strangulation, and injuries with weapons against women, only 781 were categorized as attempted femicide. The remaining cases were downgraded to lesser charges, such as malicious injury or domestic abuse, resulting in lower sanctions. Consequently, many survivors in Piña's documentary continue to live in constant fear, as their attackers roam free or await trial.
Recognizing the gravity of the situation, UN Rights in Mexico has joined forces with government institutions and civil society groups to combat gender-based violence. Initiatives aimed at improving the prosecution of femicide cases include bolstering diligence and providing training to forensic doctors and court officials to incorporate a gender perspective into their work. However, Mexico needs to take further steps to address the deeply ingrained issues that perpetuate violence against women.
The experience of survivors like Jeysol Amaya reminds us of the urgent need to address gender-based violence in Mexico. The powerful documentary by Gloria Piña amplifies the voices of survivors and demands justice, protection, and accountability for those affected. The Breach/Valdez Award for Journalism and Human Rights serves as recognition for the crucial work carried out by journalists shedding light on human rights issues in Mexico. It is now necessary for the government, legal institutions, and society as a whole to forge a path towards a safer, more equitable future for all women in Mexico, free from the shackles of gender-based violence.
