Hundreds
of women every year are murdered for one reason: their gender. The United
Nations Organization (UN) warned in April 2016 that 14 of the 25 countries with
the highest rates of femicide are in Latin America. Therefore, on Wednesday October 19th women
went on strike, prayed and dressed in mourning in the Plaza San Martin in Lima.
And we were not alone. After the rape and murder of a teenage girl in
Argentina, various movements from several Latin American countries like Mexico,
Peru, Guatemala, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay joined the march Not One Less
(ni una menos).
Thus, Latin America showed their solidarity
dressing black in protest of feminicide, attacks, harassment and violations
suffered by women every day.
In Lima, we met with other women from various
organizations and creeds in a vigil where we remembered and named the victims
of femicide and attempted femicide recorded since August 13th of this year, the
day Peruvian people took to the streets demanding justice.
- Lucy Diana (15 years old - Ayacucho) raped, died.
- Rosa Marisol (26 years old - Tumbes) burned, died.
- Marielena del Carmen (20 years old - Surquillo) killed and her murderer is about to go free.
- Luz and her daughter Genesis (55 and 15 years old - SJL) murdered, the young girl was pregnant after previously being raped by the murderer.
- Jessica (24 years old - Tumbes) murdered, she was pregnant.
- J.M.A (17 years old - Piura) brutally beaten, lost her baby, currently in a coma.
- Rocio del Pilar (20 years old - Huancayo) burned and murdered.
- Rosa Milagros and her young daughter (32 years old and 4 years old - Lima) the mother was killed and the girl was injured.
- Elizabeth (27 years old - Arequipa) killed.
During the vigil, some women explained the reason
for taking a moment of silence for them, but also the reason for not remaining
silent and making heard those voices that are being violated. Before the vigil
ended, one of the women said: 'Our struggle continues. We need to continue
building a better society. No, it is not reasonable that even when we are
killed they continue blaming us for being women. So what if we wear skirts? Why
isn’t anyone blaming the men who commit these crimes?
Why we perpetuating these ideas?
As the Congregational Office of Justice, Peace
and the Integrity of Creation we stand with all the women around the world who are
rising up against violence and call for an end to violence against women. 'If they
won’t stop killing us, we will not stop fighting.’
Written by Katty Huanuco, CCVI.
— JAIME HERRERA (@JaimeHerreraCaj) October 19, 2016
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