Fighting violence against women: Guatemala
The number of Guatemalan women killed every year keeps on rising. In the first half of 2005, 239 women ”“ including 33 girls under 15 ”“ fell victim to a by now common pattern of kidnapping, torture, rape and murder. Oxfam's partner, the Grupo de Apoyo Mútuo (GAM), tries to break the silence around these atrocities and bring justice to the survivors.
The Guatemalan authorities fail to thoroughly investigate cases and to bring to justice those responsible. This is partly because top officials are involved in the murders. It is more convenient for them to ”˜forget' about the incidents. If impunity and silence continue, the perpetrators will be able to continue their brutal activities, knowing they will never be called to account.
GAM is determined to see justice done for the victims' families and seeks national and international publicity for the murders in order to exert more pressure on Guatemala's government. The organization has started public campaigns to break the taboos surrounding the issue, end impunity and restore confidence among the population.
By involving more women in social organizations and facilitating their access to education, healthcare, justice and work, GAM hopes to kick-start a change in society that will eventually eradicate violence against women.
Not just mere gang members
The problem GAM encounters is that in Guatemala actual power does not lie with the government, but with the paramilitary and a few highly influential families. They have brought about a reign of terror in which every woman is a potential next victim. The majority of crimes is not investigated, or is only classified as ”˜knife wounds' and not as gender-based violence. This makes it virtually impossible to change legislation. GAM monitors the murders and the pattern in which they take place, to provide data for research.
Most of the murders take place in the cities, where organized crime and youth gangs have taken over the streets. Gender-based violence is used to show which gang has most power. Gangs earn the respect of their rivals when their crimes remain unpunished, but lose face when they are caught and jailed.
Impunity and sloppy investigations have each left their marks on Guatemalan society. Despite GAM's work, the precise number of women who have been murdered remains open to debate, which makes it difficult to change policy and end the vicious circle of violence.
