Femicide. The brutal and cold-blooded murder of innocent females, an epidemic which is rapidly increasing across Latin America. This is defined by the killing of girls and women just for being females that can be traced back to the earliest points of history. The region of Latin America includes 5 of the 12 countries with the highest rates of femicide in the world.
In the 1990s more than 370 young girls and women were killed in the Mexican border town of Juarez; their deaths were mysterious and of a sexual nature. Since then that figure had increased to over 900 in 2010, and as it shows no sign of declining any time soon. To make matters worse, the impunity rate of these crimes in Mexico is a staggering 98%.
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The main types of femicide which occur are known as intimate and non-intimate. Intimate femicides, which consists of 38% of cases, are those committed by former/current partners, whereas non-intimate femicides are those committed by someone without an intimate relationship to the victim. Latin America is home to what is called ‘machismo’. This is a culture of ‘macho’ morals and values that serve the needs of men whilst praising traditional patriarchal attitudes and behaviours, such as defending honour with violence if necessary. Therefore it is logical to see this toxic way of life as a pinpoint for femicides that occur as men feel the need to assert their dominance at any given time to avoid being perceived as ‘fragile’ or ‘less of a man’. Reasons for the killing of women can range from pre-marital sex or leaving a relationship all the way to no reason at all.
El Salvador and Honduras have rates of more than 10 female homicides per 100,000 women. There is a clear normalisation of this type of violence as it has also been found that only 29% of cases are actually reported as survivors face barriers when they try to seek justice (e.g. victim-blaming, underfunded support services, etc.). A clear lack of respect for women and the encouragement of misogyny go hand in hand when explaining the tragic deaths of innocent girls and women. However, others may disagree. Latin America is very well known for being a religious region where many follow the Catholic faith obediently. Teachings of the Catholic Church are extremely prevalent in society which influences family life, for example, where parents teach their daughters to be submissive and serve their husband’s needs without hesitation. This can explain why so many women do not report domestic abuse crimes as they blame themselves for their situation and as a result feel isolated and helpless. Regardless of the unjustifiable reasons for these abuses, which in most cases lead to evitable death, the silenced females of Latin America have had enough and are making their voices heard.
In May 2015, 14-year-old Chiara Páez was found buried in her boyfriend’s home in Argentina. She had been pregnant and beaten to death. This tragic incident caused an uproar amongst Argentine women, with more than 200,000 gathering in Buenos Aires to protest. Here the ‘#NiUnaMenos’ movement was formed, which translates to ‘Not One (woman) Less’ being a victim of femicide. This movement has proved to be incredibly powerful, as there were demands to the government to guarantee protection and justice for women affected by violence as well as the legalisation of abortion - putting the power back into women’s hands. The Ni Una Menos movement can also be found in other countries such as Chile and Mexico. It has proven to be successful in Chile also, as activists have succeeded in pressuring political groups to ensure gender parity under the country’s new constitution. With many accomplishments to celebrate, unfortunately, there have been significant setbacks. In Argentina, only a year after Ni Una Menos began, 16-year-old Lucia Pérez was found drugged, gang-raped and murdered. This, however, was not the only case of femicide either as numbers had not declined but instead rapidly increased. Shortly after the outrage of thousands of women had been once again brought onto the streets, prompting the country’s first mass women’s strike. The continuous pain and cries of women poured out, reminding the world that this is not a small crime which rarely occurs and can be easily ignored but instead a national crisis that is killing countless innocent young girls and women for simply being born female.
As of present, the entire world has been combating the new coronavirus pandemic with many countries imposing a lockdown whereby individuals are to stay in their homes and only leave the house if necessary as a way to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. However, in the course of this in the Latin America region, another deadly crisis has been occurring and that is femicide. Confined in the same homes as their abusers, countless young girls and women are subjected to violence with very little access to help as they are simply trapped due to strict lockdown rules. Emotional climates in households are at their highest during this period as many men have found themselves unemployed, in financial stress and more with many turning to alcohol, drugs and violence to cope. In the capital of Colombia calls to the police’s 24/7 hotline to report violence against women have surged 225%. There are no shelters or systems to support these victims currently which calls into question the integrity of the very governments the citizens of the country are to trust.
In reality, the fate of many females rests on the future to save them. There must be an acknowledgement of the problem, an establishment of a clear legal framework for addressing cases and education as a long-term sustainable solution. It is crucial to note that this epidemic is not isolated to the region of Latin America. With growing numbers across the globe, this is a crisis which does not discriminate. No female was born to be murdered for her gender and not one more will ever be.
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