Originally posted on Boston University's International Relations Review Blog
While the third wave of feminism persists within the United States, Latin American populations have also been protesting their own feminist issues. These protests often focus on violence toward women, specifically femicide - the killing of girls and women because of their gender. According to the North American Congress of Latin America, one movement in particular started back in 2015 in Argentina with a hashtag: #NiUnaMenos. This movement, which translates to “Not One Woman Less,” has been sparked within the past six years due to more and more women being killed for their gender. According to a report on Gender Equality in Latin America by the United Nations, at least 3,287 women lost their lives due to femicide at the end of 2018 in 15 Latin American countries. Out of the top 25 countries with the highest rates of femicide, Latin American contains 14 of them according to a report by the UN.
Back in 2016, this movement became prominent again, as a 16 year old was killed in Mar de Plata, Argentina after being kidnapped and raped to death. The hashtag became viral on twitter as outraged Argentinians agreed that “not one woman less” should be killed as a result of femicide. Ten days after the girls death, hundreds of thousands of women attended protests wearing all black to try and address the acts of femicide throughout Latin America. While the start of this movement was over three years ago, these protests and social media awareness have been present now more than ever before.The United Nations recently predicted that 1,390 more women will be killed in just Argentina - the home of the #NiUnaMenos movement - within the next five years.
Even outside Argentina, the femicide and the #NiUnaMenos movement continues. Only a few days ago in Mexico City, the death of a woman named Ingrid Escarmilla sparked anger on social media. A victim of femicide, Escarmilla was stabbed 25 times by a man she was living with. Shortly after her muder, pictures of her mutilated body were posted online, resulting in outrage across twitter. In addition to resparking the hashtag “#NiUnaMenos,” many posted beautiful pictures of Escarmilla as well to honor her life respectfully.
While some legal actions have been made as a response to these protests, Latin American countries still have progress to make. Many of the newly developed laws are not enforced and fail to protect women in violent situations. Additionally, the United Nations have created and posted different initiatives aimed at changing femicide throughout Latin America. They have also highlighted the importance of ending femicide to ultimately reach their 2030 sustainability goals on the UN website. Overall, while there is still room for progress, these protests have sparked change throughout Latin America. It has allowed a new wave of feminism to develop throughout South America, much like the waves of feminism seen in the United States and Europe today. With the #NiUnaMenos movement, Latin American countries have hope for a better future for the girls and women of their populations.
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