A New Report: Nobel Women's Initiative, JASS: "From Survivors To Defenders: Women Confronting Violence In Mexico, Honduras, And Guatemala"
"From Survivors to Defenders: Women confronting violence in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala" follows a 10 day delegation to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala led by Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams and Rigoberta Menchú Tumin January 2012.
The fact-finding mission investigated the impact of the war on drugs and increased mining operations on the lives of women.
The delegation found that violence against women is reaching crisis dimensions in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. In the last decade, femicides have risen by alarming rates – as much as 257% in Honduras. Indigenous women and women human rights defenders are particularly vulnerable to attacks, which include rape, torture, murder, and forced disappearances.
Alarmingly, more than 95% of crimes go without punishment. Most are never even investigated by authorities.
“Since the [2009 government] coup we’ve gone back some 40 years in the rights women had gained,” said Martha Velazquez, member of the Movimiento de Mujeres in Honduras.
The report analyzes the causes of these increases in violence and proposes country-specific solutions. The conclusions are drawn from meetings with over 200 women human rights defenders in Mexico City, Chilpancingo, Guatemala City, Panajachal and Tegucigalpa.
For further information and to access the complete report, please click here