Juarez women gather to help community fight gender violence

A Juarez group held a forum on gender violence Sunday, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The United Nations calls gender violence one of the most devastating human rights violations in our world today.

Cd. Juarez, peppered with its pink crosses, is no stranger to violence against women.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women, a talk in Juarez was led by testimonials of gender crime victims, like Marta Alicia Rincon Marquez, whose daughter went missing nine years ago, something she says eats away at family life

“Even if my daughter is dead, she still deserves a proper burial and closure for the family,” Rincon Marquez said.

Being victims of gender crime, she said, changes your life

“One loses their trust in everyone, making it difficult to lead normal lives without constant worry.”

Tthe Pink Nopales, the organizing group, followed the testimonials by designing a self-defense flyer with tips on how women can stay safe in a city with Pink Crosses on the streets marking where women have gone missing.

“Community breeds resistance, that’s how women can fight back against violence,” said Mariana Hernandez Vidal.

The forum and flyer design is their way of bringing the community together, sharing experiences and building solidarity–following the belief that the best way to stop violence is organizing women to fight side by side.

“The best way to prevent gender violence is organizing ourselves. Self-defense is not just physical, it’s emotional, it’s taking care of each other,” said Luan Zubia, another organizer.

Cd. Juarez has its own gender crimes task force. They can be reached at +52 (656) 629-3300 ex. 58112.