SEATTLE - Gender-based violence has been a serious concern for Latin American countries over the last few decades. Despite 14 countries in the region counting with special laws to prosecute feminicide cases — the murdering of women, often because of their gender — high feminicide rates continue to be a problem for governments in Latin America.
In 2021, a report from the World Health Organization highlighted that gender-based violence affected more than 30% of women around the world. The report also mentioned that around one in every three women globally have been victims of either physical or sexual abuse at any point in their lives.
Despite efforts made by Latin American countries to put an end to high rates of feminicides, the percentage of gender-based violence continues to be high in some areas of the region.
A more recent report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Cepal) revealed that in Mexico, 852 feminicides were reported — one every 10 hours on average — in 2023, ranking second among countries in the region only surpassed by Brazil, who reported 1,463 cases in 2023.
In Mexico's case, the organization considers feminicides to be on the rise despite social awareness campaigns and other movements that have put gender-based violence among the most important issues in the government's agenda.
In 2015, Mexico averaged 0.7 feminicides per every 100,000 women, but that number more than doubled by 2020 with an average of 1.5. In its latest report, Mexico is averaging 1.3 feminicides per every 100,000 women, the fourth-highest in the region.
Out of the 18 Latin American countries that shared data with Cepal, 11 of them averaged one victim of feminicide per each 100,000 women. The entity that reported a higher rate was Honduras, with 7.2 cases per 100,000 women, followed by Dominican Republic (2.4) and Brazil (1.4).
If we add all feminicide cases reported by the 18 Latin American countries that participated in the report, in 2023, the region registered 3,887 total cases of feminicide.
"This indicates that, despite the progress in legislation, feminicides continue to be a strong presence in our region and its the most extreme representation of patriarchal and violent patterns," said José Manuel Salazar, executive secretary at Cepal.
A key revelation within the yearly report is the high rates at which women are falling victims of gender-based violence by their partners. Out of the 10 countries that keep track of the victim's ties with their aggressor, eight of them reported that in more than 60% of feminicide cases, the crime was committed by their current or past partners.
Puerto Rico had a 100% rate in such cases, while Paraguay (89%), Cuba (83%), Chile (83%) and Uruguay (74%) were others above the average.
The organization emphasized the importance of keeping in mind that each entity registers feminicide victims according to how it is described in their respective legal classifications. Added to how investigations can change the status of each case, it is not possible to have an accurate number of all feminicide cases in Latin America, Cepal said.
The reports was published ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which is commemorated yearly every November 25.
Currently, all Latin American countries have established laws to concretely prevent and eradicate gender-based violence. Fourteen of them have integrated laws that amply and punish those that commit crimes against women, while 19 countries have approved laws and protocols that penalize feminicides.
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