MUJERES INDIGENAS TAMBIEN SON VICTIMAS DE FEMINICIDIO

by andrea

fem·i·cide

/ˈfeməˌsīd/

noun

noun: femicide; plural noun: femicides

1. the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man and on account of her gender.

In the 1990s, a terrifying wave of killings overtook Ciudad Juarez and quickly intensified once NAFTA (the North American Trade Agreement) was implemented in 1994. NAFTA caused the expansion of the maquiladora industry, and allowed businesses to open factories in Mexico, contract cheap labor, and in turn, this gave Mexican citizens an opportunity to become employed, which is always lacking in Mexico. Both men and women gained employment, however, women were principally chosen to work at maquiladoras due to their manual dexterity and cheaper wage requirements. The large influx of female workers may have intimidated or threatened the male labor force, and lurking beneath the new job opportunities were exploitation and human rights violations towards these vulnerable women. Many women had to travel for hours by foot or bus, and it didn’t matter if they got in to work before sunrise, or headed home late at night. When disappearances were reported to authorities by families and friends, they were disregarded, and victims were blamed for their own disappearance or death. Authorities had the audacity to accuse the women (some as young as

photo: Reporte Indigo

Hundreds of women have perished in Ciudad Juarez alone, making the city’s name synonymous with the term feminicidios. Government institutions have continuously failed to help victim’s loved ones find them or thoroughly investigate each case. The cartel wars that overtook Ciudad Juarez in the early 2000s only worsened the already frustrating and complete inaction and lack of justice for all of the disappeared and brutally murdered women. Mexico’s ceaseless violence against women only continues to worsen, and the government has offered zero solutions, sympathy, or closure for families of victims, some of whom have never been found or have been missing for decades. According to Secretariado Ejecutivo, as of May 2019, upwards of 1,199 women had already been killed as a direct result of gender violence. Let that sink in - this is from January to May 2019 alone. It is also likely an incorrect figure, as many victims have been overlooked, unreported, or simply forgotten - which brings me to my main point: If women in urban sprawls throughout Mexico are disappearing, what about indigenous women living not only in or near cities, but in rural communities?

It is crucial to not only think of the disappeared as we read about them in the news, but the silent deaths - the ghosts of indigenous people not accounted for. In Reporte Indigo, author Laura Islas calls indigenous women the most vulnerable: “En México el simple hecho de ser mujer ya representa un peligro, sin embargo, éste se agrava cuando se trata de una persona perteneciente a una comunidad originaría, pues su forma de gobierno, aunado a la falta de capacitación y preparación de las autoridades, hacen que la mayoría de los actos de violencia en su contra permanezcan impunes.” Translation: “In Mexico the simple fact of existing as a woman already represents danger, nonetheless, this is only worsened when it pertains to a person in an indigenous community, as their form of government combined with the lack of training and experience of authorities, causes the majority of violent acts against them to remain unpunished.”

In some cases, the aggressors live in the same communities and/or have the victim’s families lives threatened if they continue to seek any help in investigating their loved one’s case. The principal victims of indigenous femicide are those who have little to no economic resources and are dedicated to farming and cultivation in their communities. Language can also be a disadvantage for indigenous people who do not know Spanish, and are unable to report or describe the crime, much less seek help. Additionally, community meetings or votes are mostly run by men, making for a slightly more extreme version of patriarchal society than its urban counterparts. Many crimes go unreported as some indigenous groups do not believe in autopsies, as has been observed in Chiapas, and simply proceed with funerary rituals for the victim, making it all the more easy for perpetrators to commit their atrocities successfully. Regardless of any government intervention or reform, the underlying, toxic culprit here is deeply engrained machismo teaching aggressors to not only objectify, abuse and kill, but to take control of women’s bodies, reproductive, and human rights.. Legislation has never and will never have the ability to prevent domestic violence, gender violence, femicide, rape, abuse, stalking, or harassment.. As long as machismo/ patriarchal mentalities, systemic oppression, and corruption exist, there will never be justice or equality for anyone.

victim resources:
https://ncadv.org/resources
https://www.thehotline.org/
http://www.rednacionalderefugios.org.mx/
https://fundar.org.mx/
https://victimsofcrime.org/our-programs/past-programs/stalking-resource-center/help-for-victims
https://www.womenshealth.gov/relationships-and-safety/get-help/state-resources