Mexico rattled by increasing gender-based violence

Yet it seems his government will be hard-pressed to gloss over the issue any longer, as it was recently brought to national attention by the death of 18-year-old Debanhi Escobar.

After her case made headlines – a watershed moment that protestors hope will guarantee no more women or girls go missing – López Obrador urged Mexicans not to worry because it ‘happens everywhere.’

This triggered furore across the globe, with many disturbed by the fact that even when authorities are spurred to act by public outcry, investigations are seldom efficient.

‘The first thing is that they don’t carry out diligent investigations or searches, and the second thing are the statements issued by authorities, in some cases linking them to illegal activities,’ says Angelica Orozco, who leads the United Forces for Our Disappeared.

‘The problem is not only that authorities are slow to investigate and do it badly, but that they also tend to blame the victims.’

It’s for this reason that a depressing pattern has emerged, whereby when women disappear, they turn up dead.

In Mexico, the sheer absence of a genuine comprehension of the matter, adequate prevention measures, and sufficient attention from policymakers to make visible and consequently tackle such a prevalent issue has done nothing but augment it.

As rage boils about this unrelenting wave of femicide and gender-based violence, people worldwide have begun organising demonstrations in solidarity with the protests that have continued to unfold.

Fortunately, these actions are helping generate awareness about the issue both locally and abroad, a display of cross-border feminist support that denounces the outsized gender violence that’s recently reached a tipping point.

‘We can and must stay active, wherever that may be: online, in our work and study spaces, in our daily lives. Let’s not forget that differences can and must be made at micro-political levels, too,’ says writer Estefania Castañeda Pérez.

‘There is a strong desire to always be open about the different struggles. There’s more awareness of femicides and machismo in general. People want to keep the ball rolling and challenge what it means to act. This has just generated more anger and more courage for us to keep mobilising in whatever way we can and in whatever capacity.’