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Guatemala’s Femicides and the Ongoing Struggle for Women’s Human Rights

Authored by: Katharine Ruhl

Categories: Human Rights
Sub-Categories: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)
Country: Guatemala
Region: Latin America and the Caribbean
Year: 2006
Citation: Ruhl, Katharine. Guatemala's Femicides and the Ongoing Struggle for Women's Human Rights. San Francisco: Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, 2006.

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Abstract

In November 2005, the Center for Gender & Refugee Studies (CGRS) issued a
report entitled Getting Away With Murder: Guatemala’s Failure to Protect Women and Rodi
Alvarado’s Quest for Safety. This report explored the root causes why Guatemalan women –
like Rodi Alvarado – are forced to seek asylum in order to escape violence in their home
country. We reported that not only is there systemic tolerance of domestic violence in
Guatemala, but an alarming increase in the rate of “femicides” or gender-motivated killings
that are carried out with extreme brutality. By publishing this update to the 2005 report,
CGRS seeks to highlight the steps that remain to be taken in order for Guatemalan women
to obtain the justice and security that they deserve.