In this article, Jardar Alai explains the femicide crisis in Mexico.
Photo Credit : shethepeople
Femicide means the intentional killing of women and girls, particularly by men, on account of their gender. Violence against women is a huge issue in today's society but in Mexico approximately 10 women gets killed every day. In the last 5 years femicide in Mexico has increased with 145% but only 8% of the cases get prosecuted.
In February of 2020, a picture of 25-year-old Ingirid Escamilla murdered body shocked the country and pictures of her spread online where people demanded justice for her. A week after the murder of Escamilla, the body of 7-year-old Fátima Cecilia Aldrighett Antón was found inside a plastic bag. She was brutally beaten and after inspection, it was found that she was sexually assaulted. Fátima Cecilia Aldrighett Antón was kidnapped outside of her school in Mexico City. People started to go out in the streets to protest in major cities in Mexico. They demanded justice for these women and justice for other victims of femicide. More and More women joined the protest.
The Mexican President Andreas Manuel Lopez Obrador has underestimated violence against women, and he has said that 90% of these cases are fake. He has also said that these accusations of femicide in Mexico is propaganda from the neoliberal parties and under his government femicide has decreased. His responses have not stopped people from going out to protest to seek justice for the victims of Femicide.
The law enforcers have not taken lightly these demonstrations. In Cancun, 2 people got shut by the national guard and 2 more injured. Pictures from the scene showed one guard aiming his rifle ready to shoot anybody in front of the city hall. Incidences like these have happened more in different cities around Mexico. The local government in Cancun has denied ordering the shooting of protesters.
Sources:
Refinery 29(25.11.2020) Mexico’s Gender Violence Crisis Is Far From Over — & Women Are Demanding Action https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/11/10192353/mexico-femicide-gender-violence-protests
BCC (10.11.2020) Mexico women's protest: Outrage after police fired shots https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-54888105
The guardian (10.11.2020) Mexico police open fire on femicide protest in Cancún https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/nov/10/mexico-police-open-fire-femicide-protest-cancun
CNN (16.7.2020) Women are being killed in Mexico at record rates, but the president says most emergency calls are 'false' https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/05/americas/mexico-femicide-coronavirus-lopez-obrador-intl/index.html
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