Women looking for loved ones among more than 128,000 missing and missing persons are also facing increasing influence and violence, with at least 16 women living to date so far. Disappear again. The report includes statements from 600 female searchers from 30 Mexican states, as well as countries such as El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras who generously shared their experiences through surveys as well as focus groups and interviews.
Female searchers play a very important role in defending human rights in an extremely hostile environment. Despite the violence and impact they face, they support other families who have experienced living in the same situation. They promoted the creation of legislation, public policy, public policy and formulation institutions specifically for the search for the rights of people experienced by human beings so that their actions continue to violate human rights. Piquer, Americas Americanty International International.
Authorities must ensure families have the right to seek loved ones and take action to end the human rights acts they have experienced in doing so.
Ana Piquer, Director of Amnesty International’s Americas.
Report Disappear again: The violence and impacts experienced by Mexican female searchers Campaign #searching withoutfear(#Busysinmiedo) Calls on authorities to take concrete actions to protect female searchers in the Americas.
What did women searching for missing family members experience?
The report stipulates that 97% of female searchers interviewed reported facing violence and impact when searching for missing persons. The most common risks include threats (45%), ransomware (39%), attacks (27%), forced displacement (27%), torture (10%), kidnapping (6%), even sexual violence, disappearance and killing.
My house was shot and killed, with at least 100 bullets. I’m with my daughter, it’s so bad.
Statement by Guerrero Chilpancingo’s anonymous female searcher.
Furthermore, one of the two female searchers suffered discrimination due to gender, financial status, race and racial identity belonging to indigenous communities, country of origin, or status of immigration. The report also found that one in every two female searchers suffered stigmatization and revival from the authorities and even their own families and communities.
It is not the same for the rich or the poor. A rich man disappeared and found out they were because they were a priority in the prosecutor’s office and I wasn’t even dated to look for my son.
Statement from anonymous female searcher in Colima, Colima.
The family was also affected by the disappearance of one of its members. In this regard, 60% of the 600 women interviewed by the report reported a breakdown of family relationships, exacerbating them due to the lack of care systems that allowed them to continue as caregivers, while also being able to perform search work. 70% of people have already suffered from physical and mental health effects such as depression, insomnia, and the onset of other diseases or the worsening of existing diseases; 60% report loss of resources.
I was having trouble breathing and kept gasping. You have to go to the dentist because you will lose your teeth. After 15 years of search, there are physical and mental wear.
Araceli Rodríguez, a mother and woman seeker in Mexico.
There is no more fuel to go out and find my son. I have no electricity, no water, and sometimes I don’t eat anything for nearly a year and a half.
Verónica Durán, female searcher in Guanajuato.
Lack of trust in the authorities
Women searchers found that public institutions lacked commitment and action in searching for vanished people, and therefore, they had to do most of the work themselves even in searches organized by authorities.
“In contrast to other countries that seek out the disappearing people, in Mexico, women themselves lead the search: with their own hands, using picks and shovels, they position and excavate the graves of the masses. They do this at great risk. Justice and indispensable compensation for harm, and their rights are the same.
In Mexico, it was the women themselves who led the search: with their own hands and shovels, they found and dug the large graves. They do so in situations where there are great risks, venture into dangerous areas, and even cross the border to continue searching for loved ones.
Edith Olivares Ferreto, Executive Director of Amnesty International in Mexico.
The report noted that only 17% of women searchers visited authorities to report violence or demand support. This is due to many factors, such as distrust of the government, a lack of awareness of its rights, and even the perception of collusion between public officials and organized crime.
The women interviewed welcomed the fact that human rights defenders and journalists and national protection mechanisms have regarded them as human rights defenders and provided security measures. However, they noted: “For those who are not in the spotlight, this mechanism does not stand up.” They also noted that when providing security measures, these protection mechanisms do not apply a comprehensive approach using a gender and child perspective, nor do they properly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of such measures.
Women searchers mentioned that it was difficult to be recognized as a victim, and that the committee provided by state victims provided insufficient support, delays and cultural inappropriateness. The challenge of gaining support is even greater for Indigenous women seekers and vanishing immigrant families.
As indigenous victims, we are at different and disproportionate levels when we come from the village.
Beatriz Zapotec, female searcher in Guerrero
The women also said prosecutors’ offices and general state prosecutors often adopted practices that violate international standards, such as requiring them to wait 72 hours to file a complaint for disappearance.
They don’t want me to file a complaint [regarding my daughter’s disappearance]said I had to wait 72 hours because according to them, she had a great time with her boyfriend, which is why we didn’t hear from her.
Anonymous search for mother’s statement from Juarez, Chihuahua.
Regarding the Support Mechanism for Foreign Search and Investigation in Mexico (MAEBI), which aims to promote judicial contact between immigrants and their families in another country, female searchers highlighted the difficulties of missing immigrant families in filing complaints, monitoring their cases and visiting Mexican territory.
One of the main difficulties is going to Mexico because there is no permission for humanitarian reasons. Off-roading is the hardest thing to do. Unless we are with civil society organizations, we will not consider that we will never have such permission.
Mary Rodríguez, a searcher in Honduras
The study includes a series of recommendations to Mexican authorities to improve the protection of search collectives. These include recognizing the important work of female searchers and their right to search, whether in cooperation with the authorities or independence, and guaranteeing their rights, including their economic, social and cultural rights.
“All government measures on the issue of disappearance must include meaningful participation of female searchers. Today, we reiterate: “It’s not without families! ” (No family, no!). It is also crucial to recognize the main role of women in searches and integrate gender and cross-sectional perspectives. ”
Background information:
Report: Disappearing Again: Violence and Impacts Experienced by Mexican Female Searchers
Female searchers in the Americas
Report: Fearless Search: International Standards for Protecting Women Searchers in America
Amnesty International calls for female searchers
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact[email protected].
