The women who inspire Mexico: action on femicide
Mexico City, Mexico - On 23 November, the families of femicide victims came together at a virtual event to honour the memories of their loved ones and other victims of gender-based violence. ‘Women who Inspire: Building Access to Justice for Femicide Victims: a Look from Defender Mothers and Sisters’ brought together Rosa Franco, mother of María Isabel Véliz Franco; Adriana Cely, sister of Rosa Elvira Cely; Irinea Buendía, mother of Mariana Lima; Norma Esther Andrade, mother of Lilia Alejandra García; and María Esperanza Lucciotto, mother of Karla Pontigo.
These women represent just some of the families destroyed by gender-based violence. Latin America has one of the world's highest rates of femicide, with 10 women killed every day because of their gender in Mexico alone.
"There are no words to express what is in the heart of a mother, after going to the morgue to see your daughter... her life was destroyed," said Ms. Franco. "My life was also destroyed. Last year I graduated as a lawyer, but I would like my daughter to be here, sharing my achievements, so I decided to fight for justice for María Isabel and to try to help other mothers."
The event was held by the Spotlight Initiative Mexico and its partner, Grupo de Acción por los Derechos Humanos y la Justicia Social (Group of Action for Human Rights and Social Justice) in the lead up to International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (25 November). It aimed to raise visibility of the issue and promote coordinated action to address gender-based violence among institutions, authorities and civil society organizations.
“The women who join us today have transformed their loss, their grief and pain, into a cause and motivation so that other women and other families do not have to experience the same tragedies,” said Representative of UN Women in Mexico Belén Sanz Luque during the opening remarks. “Their efforts, among other things, have made femicide visible in Latin America as a systemic problem and changed laws and norms to protect women, and hold aggressors accountable.”
The event was attended by Mr. Jérôme Poussielgue, Head of Cooperation from the European Union Delegation in Mexico. “The first thing that comes to me when I hear the testimonies of these mothers and sisters is the emotion, but also the fact that we must reject and condemn these acts of violence," he said. "I would like to express my appreciation and admiration for the work of mothers, who are heroines of our times, who fight for women to have a better life.”
Singer-songwriter Vivir Quintana and the Dutch collective SnowApple performed some live pieces emblematic of the feminist cause.
To Rosa Franco, Adriana Cely, Irinea Buendía, Norma Esther Andrade, María Esperanza Lucciotto and all the families who have had loved ones taken from them by gender-based violence, Spotlight Initiative expresses its deepest appreciation and solidarity.
