“Spotlight: Justice for Women,” a podcast by the Wilson Center, explores gender-based violence and the barriers women face when they seek justice. According to the WHO, one in three women worldwide experiencing violence during her lifetime and one in four women will experience domestic abuse, the most common form of gender-based violence. Although many countries have passed laws criminalizing violence against women, attitudes toward gender and violence are complex and deeply-ingrained in societies around the world—with fatal consequences. For this series, we look first at one of the regions of the world with the highest rates of gender-based violence: Latin America. Join us as we explore why violence persists, and what policymakers can do to help women live free from fear.
Migration from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, --the Northern Triangle-- poses many risks for women and girls migrating in search of a better life. Women embark on a journey north despite the risk of exploitation, human trafficking and gender-based violence, now exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The reasons for migrating vary from country to country, but relate to how steep inequality and gang violence directly affect women – making them targets of violence. During this episode, Wilson Center fellow, Guadalupe Correa, talks to us about the misconception between human trafficking and human smuggling, the differences between gang violence and cartel organizations when it comes to gender-based violence, and explains how these comprehensive networks take advantage of women’s vulnerability as transit governments do not provide a comprehensive network of support and protection for them.
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted vulnerable communities in Mexico, including women and children. In this episode, host Olivia Soledad speaks with Dr. Silvia Núñez, Professor at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), about the exacerbated challenges women are facing during the pandemic, including the challenges they face to access health and safety services. Related links: Observatory on Gender and COVID-19 in Mexico: https://genero-covid19.gire.org.mx/
Brazil had a record number of femicides in 2019—even as the number of overall murders dropped, and despite groundbreaking laws that criminalize femicide and other forms of gender-based violence (GBV). In this episode, host Anya Prusa speaks with Dabney Evans, Associate Professor of Global health at Emory University, about the persistent challenge of GBV in Brazil and some of the policies and toolkits being used to address the problem, including a new Portuguese version of the Danger Assessment. https://www.dangerassessment.org/DATools.aspx
The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador, has experienced an astounding rate of femicide and violence against women. In this episode host Beatriz Nice talks with Fernanda Vanegas on the challenges faced there and the hope for change.
On March 8, women in Mexico took the streets in massive numbers to protest the high levels of gender-based violence in the country, where approximately 10 women die every day. Despite the country's robust legislation and global attention to Mexico's problem, violence continues to grow. For our inaugural episode, Isabel Erreguerena from EQUIS Justice for Women, joins us to discuss why violence continues to rise, the main obstacles women in Mexico face when trying to access justice and potential policy solutions.
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