Violence Against Women in Latin America

Abstract

Dr. Wendy Vázquez, Distinguished Visiting Professor of Politics and Fulbright-García Robles Mexico Studies Chair, discusses the rampant sexual and gender-based violence that Latin American women face regularly. She mentions that this violence has been ingrained in Latin American countries since the time of the Spanish conquest. To demonstrate the severity of this violence, Vázquez describes the “Muertas de Juárez,” which refers to the murders of Mexican women that began in the 1990s. As a result of these murders, protestors, women’s groups, and human rights groups have created campaigns, art, music, and used social media engagement to create awareness and demand justice for women and their safety. Specifically, the use of real women’s names and their stories, especially in music, has led to the acceptance of these art forms as anthems for women’s empowerment and justice. Vázquez reflects that with the inauguration of a female president in Mexico, there is mass hope that there can be a social change regarding gender-based violence that is often overlooked or minimized by the government.