PBI-Mexico allied Consorcio Oaxaca discusses femicide and violence against women with Canadian Ambassador to Mexico

On June 17, the Canadian Embassy in Mexico tweeted: “Respecting and protecting human rights is a priority for the Government of Canada.”

It adds: “With @consorciooaxaca we recognize the importance of preventing and identifying patterns of violence against women.”

Soledad Jarquín then tweeted: “Many thanks to the @EmbCanMexico and in particular to Ambassador Graeme C. Clark for listening during his visit to #Oaxaca and for the specific follow-up they have given to the case of #JusticiaParaSol.”

Soledad is a journalist searching for justice after the femicide of her 27-year-old daughter María del Sol Cruz Jarquín on June 2, 2018.

Consorcio Oaxaca

The Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project website highlights: “Consorcio Oaxaca was founded in 2003, with the objective of promoting a state-level legislative framework that supports women’s rights. From the beginning, the organization has focused on gender-based violence and women’s rights.”

That article adds: “Consorcio Oaxaca has made a notable contribution in documenting and accompanying cases of gender-based violence in Oaxaca.” Approximately 10 women are murdered each day in Mexico.

Violence against Indigenous women

María worked as the Head of the Department of Intercultural Indigenous Communication in the Directorate of Cultural Strengthening and Interculturality of the Subsecretariat of Indigenous Development, part of the Secretariat of Indigenous Affairs.

The Harvard International Review has noted: “The many levels of oppression that Indigenous women face [in Mexico], especially due to their gender and socioeconomic class, make them more likely to be the victims of violent crimes, such as femicide.”

Consorcio Oaxaca has reported: “Of the 11 municipalities with an alert considered the most violent for women, 7 have the highest number of victims [and] these localities are also classified as indigenous municipalities or municipalities with an indigenous presence.”

In Canada, 160 women were killed in 2020. Thirty of those women were Indigenous. While Indigenous women comprised 23 per cent of the femicides in Canada, they make up about 4 per cent of the female population in this country.

Furthermore, more than six in 10 Indigenous women in Canada have suffered from physical or sexual assault at some point during their lifetime.

The National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls determined that “state actions and inactions rooted in colonialism and colonial ideologies” are in part responsible for the thousands of Indigenous women and girls who have been murdered or gone missing in Canada which the report names as genocide.

PBI-Mexico has accompanied Consorcio Oaxaca since March 2016. That accompaniment transitioned to a strategic alliance this year.

The poster that can be seen in the second photo with the Ambassador and Soledad is of María. Consorcio Oaxaca received a threatening note on June 15, 2020 following the organization’s demand for justice for Maria.

Emilie DeWolf works on Comprehensive Protection for Women Defenders (safety and self-care) at Consorcio Oaxaca. Image from PBI 2020 annual review.