Unbearably High Levels of Violence Against Women Continue to Exist in Mexico Jennifer LeClair - The Gazette
go to original February 14, 2014

While it is true that Mexico cannot be categorized in such absolute terms as being a “lawless state,” differentiation must be made between the current steps toward democratization of the political and judicial systems and the implementation of said advancements on society writ-large. Given that Mexico signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1981, statistical evidence demonstrates the continuity of victimization. Imagine more than one out of every two women married or in a relationship experiencing at minimum, one violent episode at the hands of their partner every year; imagine one woman being raped every four minutes — whether by someone close to her or unknown; imagine two out of every three female homicides taking place in the home; imagine that since age 15, nearly two out of three women will have been victims of some sort of violence; imagine Mexico.

I have difficulty ignoring the consistent impunity that permits such statistics, that permits the continued devastation of the lives of the women targeted and abused at the hands of those most dear to them. Female victims of murder have not decreased, and this in spite of lobbying by NGOs and legal practitioners for change to the environment within which women find themselves in Mexico. Amnesty International, highly reputed for their research into human rights violations, confirms that officials often emotionally abuse the victims seeking protection from the domestic violence, encouraging the women to return to their partners. The courage it takes to stand up in the face of abuse can often be quashed by such attitudes by officials and similarly, family members, who attempt to convince the already fearful women that all will be well. Female deaths are under-investigated, and governmental response to the high rates of feminicide and domestic abuse transcend the legislative advances.

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