Violence against Women Human Rights Defenders in Mesoamerica

2012 2014 Report, Executive Summary1

Introduction
The Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative (IM-Defensoras) was founded in 2010 by JASS
Mesoamerica, the Oaxaca Consortium for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equity in Mexico, the Association for
Womens Rights in Development, the Unit for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala, the
Feminist Collective for Local Development in El Salvador, and the Central American Womens Fund. National
networks and convergences in Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua, which together
involve 691 women activists, are also part of IM-Defensoras.
IM-Defensoras promotes a gender-sensitive holistic protection model that is based on building and supporting
networks and convergences of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) who are active in diverse social
movements in order to prevent and respond to the rising violence in Mexico and Central America, thereby
strengthening womens work for equality, justice and peace, and contributing to the long-term continuity and
sustainability of movements.2 This model of holistic protection also includes strategies such as a Rapid
Response Fund for Security and Self-Care; three shelters and self-care centers; urgent actions and advocacy
activities at the national, regional, and international level; and a Regional Monitoring System that enables the
production of analysis, reports, and statistical data regarding violence against WHRDs and their protection
needs with a gender perspective.
As a result of the work conducted through the Regional Monitoring System, IM-Defensoras is presenting its
Second Regional Report on the Situation of WHRDs in Mexico and Central America, 3 which includes and
compares information gathered between 2012 and 2014.

The importance of a gender perspective in analyzing violence against WHRDs

To be a woman who defends human rights in societies marked by gender discrimination and inequality means
to defy cultural norms and stereotypes that limit and question womens political and social participation, and to
conduct human rights work in unequal conditions. 4 It also means that incidents of violence against WHRDs

1 This Executive Summary was translated from the original in Spanish. The full report (Spanish only as of 10 October
2015) is available for download at: https://www.scribd.com/doc/283951300/Informe-2012-2014-de-Agresiones-contraDefensoras-de-DDHH-en-Mesoamerica
2 In recognition of its work to protect WHRDs, IM-Defensoras was the 2014 recipient of the Letelier-Moffitt Award,
established in 1978 by the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC.
3 This includes information from: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua
4 This is due to several factors, including the limited social recognition of WHRDs work, the load that women bear in
housework and childcare, and the high levels of violence against women that inhibit, limit, or obstruct womens
participation in public life.

contain gender components, showing some of the forms of discrimination and violence against women
motivated by their gender identity/condition.
The lack of qualified data regarding the situation of WHRDs not only limits the understanding about the general
situation of all persons who defend human rights, but itself constitutes a risk factor for WHRDs since it makes
their participation and contributions as well as their specific protection needs invisible. A gender analysis
surfaces the ways in which discrimination against women creates additional risks and obstacles for women who
work for human rights, as well as how discrimination is used as a mechanism to inhibit WHRDs work, through
control, deactivation, and fear. The gender analysis also demonstrates how situations of violence against
WHRDs that take place in private and organizational spaces weakens the work of movements and increases
vulnerabilities in confronting risks.
For this reason, faced with the absence of specific official reports about the situation of WHRDs in
Mesoamerica, as well as the lack of gender indicators in the majority of existing registry systems, in 2012 IMDefensoras began a systematic registry with the objective of quantifying the dimension and types of violence
suffered by WHRDs and by their families, communities, and organizations, as well as describing the
characteristics of these attacks along with the identification of gender components involved. 5

The situation of WHRDs in Mexico and Central America

a) Conditions in which WHRDs conduct their work
The current context of violence, impunity, and corruption that prevails in the region determines that the
defense of human rights brings a permanent risk that threatens the life, integrity, and well-being of defenders
and their families. WHRDs must also face an environment marked by the increase of violence and
discrimination against women.
In Honduras, violent deaths of women have increased by 263.4% between 2005 and 2013.6 In El Salvador, there
were 292 assassinations of women registered in 2014, an increase in 77 cases compared with 2013. 7 In
Nicaragua, there were 66 femicides registered in 2013 and 72 in 2012. 8 In Mexico, just in the Northeast of the
country, womens risk of death by homicide increased by more than 400% between 2007 and 2010. 9 In
Guatemala, the number of complaints made to the Public Ministry regarding crimes deemed to be violence
against women increased by more than three times between 2008 and 2013. 10

5 Using a form with information that is later captured in a database, the national WHRD networks that are part of IMDefensoras in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico register incidents of violence against WHRDs in diverse
territories of each country. The information gathered is verified by the WHRD or the organization that accompanies her
and by an additional source. Nicaragua is in the process of joining IM-Defensoras Regional Monitoring System, and in the
meantime they have developed their own analysis that has been taken into account in IM-Defensoras reports.
6 Instituto Universitario en Democracia, Paz y Seguridad (IUDPAS) y Observatorio de la Violencia, UNAH; Facultad de
Ciencias Sociales, Edicin Especial No. 9, Tegucigalpa, Enero, 2013.
7 El Observatorio de Violencia. Polica Nacional Civil report 292 mujeres asesinadas durante 2014. Fuente: ORMUSA.
http://observatoriodeviolencia.ormusa.org/feminicidios.php
8 Catlicas por el Derecho de Decidir; Femicidios 2013 en Nicaragua. Catholics
http://www.catolicasporelderechoadecidir.org.ni/images/femicidios/2013/9%20Femicidio%20Enero-Diciembre
%202013.pdf
9 Comisin Nacional para Prevenir y Erradicar la Violencia contra las Mujeres; Estudio Nacional sobre las Fuentes,
Orgenes y Factores que Producen y Reproducen la Violencia contra las Mujeres, 2012.

In addition to this context of violence against women, IM-Defensoras has documented that WHRDs conduct
their work in conditions of inequality. The majority of WHRDs do not have work-benefits, nor health coverage
that would enable early detection and addressing of issues they face as a result of their work. Six out of every
ten WHRDs conduct their work without any financial compensation. Additionally, the large majority of WHRDs
recognize that in order to conduct their human rights work, they have to take on double or triple work-shifts,
since they dedicate an average of 4-6 hours per day in housework or caring for others. 11
b) Attacks against WHRDs between 2012 and 2014
According to IM-Defensoras Report on Violence Against WHRDs, there were 1,688 attacks against women
defenders registered between 2012 and 2014 in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. Of these
registered attacks, 414 took place in 2012, 512 in 2013, and 762 in 2014. This means that the number of
attacks registered per year has almost doubled since 2012 (45.7%).

Country

2012

2013

2014

Total by country

El Salvador

51

16

55

122

Guatemala

126

194

313

633

Honduras

119

113

86

318

Mexico

118

189

308

616

Regional Total

414

512

762

1,688

Source: Mesoamerican Registry of Violence Against WHRDs, IM-Defensoras

With regards to reiterated attacks, 60% of incidents registered in 2012 were part of a chain or series of attacks;
this was 53% in 2013 and 68% in 2014. WHRDs who have been attacked face a higher than 50% likelihood of t
suffering another attack.
The six main types of attacks against WHRDs were:

Intimidation and psychological harassment 21% (351) of registered attacks

Threats, warnings, and ultimatums 16% (265) of registered attacks
Slander, accusations, and smear campaigns 9% (145) of registered attacks
Excessive use of force 6% (101) of registered attacks
Illegal detention and arbitrary arrest 4% (71) of registered attacks

10 CERIGUA; Violencia contra las mujeres, una epidemia en aumento. http://cerigua.org/article/violencia-contra-lasmujeres-una-epidemia-en-aumen/

11 Hernndez, Ana Mara (Coord), Travesas para pensar y actuar. Experiencias de Autocuidado de Defensoras de Derechos
Humanos en Mesoamrica, Ed. Iniciativa Mesoamericana de Defensoras de Derechos Humanos, Mxico, 2014. Encuesta
realizada en 2013 a 70 defensoras de derechos humanos en la regin. (Survey conducted among 70 WHRDs in
Mesoamerica in 2013.)

Use of criminalization and legal prosecution 4% (69) of registered attacks

In total, these six types of violence represent 60% of the attacks suffered by WHRDs. In that same period, IMDefensoras registered 32 assassinations of women defenders and 39 attempted assassinations.
In at least 37% of the registered incidents, it was possible to identify a gender component to the attack. The
main gender components identified were: threats, warnings, and ultimatums that used male chauvinist insults;
threats of sexual violence or threats to WHRDs families; slander, accusations, and/or smear campaigns that use
gender stereotypes; and attacks against WHRDs and organizations that work for womens rights.
According to the IM-Defensoras Registry, the WHRDs who faced the most attacks in 2012 and 2014 were those
who defend land and territory (38% of attacks in both years). In 2013, WHRDs facing the most attacks were
those who defend labor rights, due to a collective case in Guatemala that involved a large number of victims;
however, in the other countries, WHRDs defending territory continued receiving the most attacks. Other
WHRDs who face large numbers of attacks are those who work for a life free of violence against women (second
place in 2012, third place in 2013, and fourth place in 2014).
Regarding the perpetrators of attacks, state actors (aggregated) appear as the primary agents responsible for
attacks on WHRDs during the period 2012 to 2014. This trend is verified not only at the regional level but also in
each country participating in the study. Taking all information compiled for the three years, based on the 1,688
attacks in the region, state actors were identified as responsible for 66% of attacks on WHRDs.
Corporations/businesses are another important perpetrator of attacks against WHRDs, responsible for 22% of
registered attacks. WHRDs also face attacks in their close circle family members and persons from their own
organization (aggregated) represent 5% of attacks for the three years. It is also important to note that in a
significant percentage of incidents (27%), WHRDs report not knowing the identity of the perpetrator.
Faced with this situation, WHRDs do not remain silent and, despite the high rates of impunity and the lack of
confidence in institutions, a significant percentage of women defenders have lodged a complaint regarding
attacks against them. In half of the incidents (52%) registered by IM-Defensoras in 2012, WHRDs reported
having lodged a complaint with authorities regarding the attack; this figure went down to 42% in 2013, and
increased again to 58% in 2014.

Recommendations to ensure an environment that is more conducive to the work of WHRDs.

a) Recognize the situation of violence against WHRDs. Documenting and analyzing the rights-violations
against WHRDs and their organizations from a gender perspective, and recognizing the situation of violence
and discrimination that they face, is itself a protection measure, as this gives public visibility to this situation
thereby enabling the development of adequate protection measures. States must generate official
information regarding WHRDs that is disaggregated and that incorporates a gender perspective. 12

12 This entails, for example: analyzing the underlying situation of violence against women within the context in which
WHRDs work; recognizing the impact of situations or acts of discrimination that come from non-state actors, including
WHRDs close circle and family; identifying specific types of attacks against WHRDs because of their gender identity,
including analyzing criminal offenses or forms of criminalization that are most used against WHRDs; among others.

b) Eradicate criminalization and defamation of WHRDs by the state. States must refrain from all practices that
criminalize social protest and the work of WHRDs. This entails, among other things, combatting the effects
of stigmatization and defamation faced by WHRDs when they are subjected to processes of criminalization,
and sanctioning any state agent who promotes defamation, discrimination, and male chauvinism against a
woman defender.
c) Responsibility of national and transnational corporations. We call on these actors to take responsibility and
refrain from any act of violence or aggression against WHRDs. Corporations must respect the UN Guiding
Principles on Business and Human Rights.
d) Implement gender-sensitive protection mechanisms. States must design (in countries where they do not
exist) and strengthen (in those countries where they do) legal and institutional measures for the holistic
protection of persons who defend human rights, with a cross-cutting gender perspective both in the legal
framework and in the implementation mechanisms. These mechanisms should ensure compliance with the
duty of non-discrimination established in CEDAW and take on the legal implications of the Resolution for
Protecting Women Human Rights Defenders adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in
November 2013. A gender perspective in protection mechanisms includes, among other things: gendersensitive risk analysis, protocols for holistic protection that are specific for WHRDs; combating stigmatization
of WHRDs; focusing on the processes for investigating attacks to prevent impunity and ensure access to
justice without discrimination.
e) Promote protection networks among WHRDs. It is crucial to continue supporting WHRDs in their
convergence efforts through protection networks, as this enables them to access the support necessary to
face attacks, which they do not always find among their families, communities, and organizations.
f) Recognize the fundamental role of WHRDs in the advancement of democracy, equality, and peace.
Womens role in the defense and advancement of human rights, democracy, equality, and peace must be
recognized at the national and international level, as this can then contribute to creating an enabling social
environment that respects the work of WHRDs and deters possible attacks. States must publicly recognize
WHRDs and womens organizations as valid stakeholders and necessary actors that contribute complying
with states human rights obligations.

National Network of Women Human Rights Defenders in Guatemala

Nicaraguan Initiative of Women Human Rights Defenders

Mesoamerican Women Human Rights Defenders Initiative (IM-Defensoras): http://im-defensoras.org