At the heart of a nation rich in contrasts, the women of Mexico embody the struggle in a country torn apart by a silent war. This land is riven by overwhelming figures : 11 femicides a day, over 100,000 people missing, including 24,600 women since 2006, according to the official figures.
Impunity, injustice and violence plague the lives of many Mexican women, whose hostile environment has brought them to live a life of resilience. They are women, mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, friends and neighbours, many and united in the same cause, fighting for their rights, for a life with dignity and free of violence. They are present at every event, on the streets, singing feminist chants, braving the tear gas, with the pink femicide cross on their shoulders and photos of the missing persons who are still being searched for.
The year 2024 is a pivotal one for Mexico : for the first time in the country’s history, two women are competing in the presidential election, reflecting an unprecedented gain for women in the public and political arenas.
This report by photographer Mahé Elipe – based on her long-term project Sembrando Luchas (Sowing Struggles) – was inspired by the desire to capture the commitment of Mexican women in the struggle for justice, focusing on those that are having an impact and becoming a source of inspiration for other women. “The strength of Mexican women is undeniable. To understand it, all you have to do is to delve into their essence, nourished by love, empathy and the desire for justice,” she told Equal Times.
Dans le cadre du « Día de Muertos », une journée spéciale où les Mexicains célèbrent leurs morts et malgré la pandémie, différents collectifs féministes et mères de victimes de féminicide ont organisé la 5e Marche des Catrinas, le 1er novembre 2020. Un acte de protestation en mémoire des filles et des femmes victimes de féminicide.
The day began at the Benito Juárez Hemicycle in central Mexico City, where the microphone was opened to the public for those who wanted to share a message. The march ended at the Antimonumenta, or anti-monument, which was erected in 2019 in memory of femicide victims in the country. Actions centred on reclaiming urban and monumental heritage have become recurrent in Mexico.
María del Carmen Volante, mère de Guadalupe Pamela Gallardo Volante, disparue à Mexico depuis 2017. Le dimanche 24 avril 2022, avec des centaines de femmes, elle a manifesté dans la capitale contre les récents féminicides et disparitions, dans l’État de Nuevo León, et dans tout le pays.
According to the authorities, an average of almost 10 women are murdered in Mexico every day (3,427 in 2021). In April 2022, the murder of an 18-year-old law student, Debanhi Escobar, reopened the wounds of the thousands of mothers who are mourning or searching for their children. The families are often confronted with serious failings on the part of the justice system when it comes to investigating femicides and worrying disappearances.
En 2021, une grande clôture métallique a été érigée autour du Palais national, siège du pouvoir mexicain, pour le protéger des manifestantes lors de la Journée du 8-mars. Un acte perçu comme une provocation par les féministes, qui ont répondu en peignant les noms de toutes les femmes victimes de violence subie cette même année. Un "anti-monument" utilisé comme une toile improvisée pour rendre leur mouvement visible.
In March 2021, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was the target of strong criticism for supporting the candidacy of a politician running for a governorship who had been accused of rape by several women.
Lors de la Journée internationale des droits de la femme à Mexico, du mars 2021, les premières perturbations ont eu lieu sur la place Zócalo, devant le Palais national. Les tentatives des manifestantes pour arracher les barrières se sont soldées par de violents affrontements avec les forces de sécurité, qui ont jeté du gaz lacrymogène.
During the demonstrations, Mexican feminists did not hesitate to defend themselves, joining the Bloque Negro (Black Block, radical feminist separatist activists) in standing up to the police. On that day, the Secretariat for Citizen Security (SSC) in the Mexican capital recorded at least 81 women injured out of the 20,000 demonstrators present.
Sur l’esplanade du Monument à la Révolution de Mexico, un hommage est rendu à Ingrid Escamilla, le 9 février 2021. La jeune femme de 25 ans avait été poignardée et mutilée par son ex-conjoint un an plus tôt.
The femicide of Ingrid Escamilla in 2020 caused a huge outcry, particularly after the press published details and photos that violated her rights and bodily integrity and were perceived as a ‘double punishment’ and an ‘apology for macho violence’. A series of feminist actions led to a reform of the penal code : a general law for women’s access to a life free of violence, with jail sentences of four to ten years for public servants who divulge or disseminate images or elements of murder investigation files. Ingrid’s killer was sentenced to 70 years in prison, the maximum penalty. The sentence was upheld on appeal in October 2023.
Des manifestantes défilent lors d’un rassemblement à l’occasion de la Journée internationale pour le droit à l’avortement, le 28 septembre 2023. Dans un pays très religieux, les femmes risquaient encore il y a peu d’être envoyées en prison pour avoir fait une interruption volontaire de grossesse.
On 7 September 2023, Mexico’s Supreme Court decriminalised abortion at national level. This decision came two years after the Court unanimously ruled that the legislation in one of Mexico’s states criminalising abortion in the first term of pregnancy was ‘unconstitutional’, paving the way for the right to abortion throughout the country.
