"The Most Dangerous Place in the World to be a Woman"�: The Roots of Feminicide in Guatemala

Abstract

Feminicide, the killing of women because they are women within a culture of impunity, is prevalent in Central America and one of the most shocking human rights violations of our time. Though most of the existing literature focuses on Mexico, Guatemala has an exceptionally high rate of feminicide: an estimated 6500 women were murdered between 2000 and 2012 and that number continues to rise. Combining the theoretical frameworks of Path Dependency Theory and Intersectionality, the project seeks to chart the development of attitudes towards both indigenous and ladina women in Guatemala from the colonial period to the modern era. The paper examines how media representations of women and of crimes against women reinforce these narratives, which have now become institutionalised, allowing feminicide to continue unchecked. A focus on sensationalism and victim blaming, combined with a lack of investigative journalism in the reporting of femicide, has reinforced the culture of impunity that exists in Guatemala. Highly racialised and unrealistic beauty standards in the media also render indigenous women less visible in society. Their lack of participation in the political arena further hinders their fight for justice. The paper concludes with an evaluation of some of the emerging activist movements that aim to counter the violence.