From 1993-2003, about 370 women were brutally killed, and several hundreds more have disappeared, in the U.S.–Mexico border city of Ciudad Juárez in the state of Chihuahua. What was responsible for this level of gender-based violence and what was being done to stop it?
In the excerpt attached below from Human Rights Dialogue, Fall 2003, feminist human rights activist Lydia Alpízar answers these questions.This reading serves as a great exercise for discussing women's rights in Mexico, its transition to democracy, and the role of civil society. Discussion questions are included.
For the full article, "Impunity and Women's Rights in Ciudad Juarez," please click here.
This activity works well in a comparative government, global, or world history class.