Life in her Absence
Violence against women is a reality that thousands of women, across the world endure regardless of race, class, ethnicity, culture and economic status. Violence manifests in many different ways, and "feminicide, or the killing of ones wife or girlfriend, represents one of its most serious forms.
According to government data during 2018, 760 cases of feminicide were reported in Mexico. The state of Chiapas has not done nearly enough to counter gender-based violence, resulting in the implicit rise in sexual assault and feminicide in the face of impunity. In 2018 alone, 28 femincides and 13 attempts at feminicide were reported, however the general consensus amongst the public is that a vast number of cases go unreported or are misclassified in favor of the aggressor. So far in 2019, 120 women have reportedly died resulting from violence - 4 of them girls under the age of 18 - with only 49 of these cases classified as feminicide. Unfortunately these figures likely only represent a percentage of the violent deaths experienced by women in the state, given the high rate of cases that go mis-reported.
To make matters worse, the state government is not seeking to draw attention to the situation and is therefore not taking remedial measures to address it, and is contributing to the narrative of normalization. Established protocols against violence are often ignored and there is not demonstrated interested in seeking justice for these cases. These are just some of the contributing factors fueling a movement to advocate against feminicide behind the rallying cry “Not even one more.” With little confidence in the government, women and in some cases men, have taken to the streets to organize and protest agains the issue. Nevertheless, women continue to be found dead, sending a clear message that their lives are not worthy and are replaceable.
Through the project “Life in her Absence” Adriana Rodríguez y Gabriela Sanabria are seeking to expose this harsh reality, as a cry for justice and a vindication of the lives of women that have been lost. Their photo essay, focuses on the lives of two women: Yuri Lisset Méndez Trejo and Erika Rubí Álvarez Hernández murdered in the state of Chiapas. The authors seek to illustrate the memory of their loss daily lives within the lives of those living in their absence, capturing photos of their belongings and portraits.
Yuri Lisset Méndez Trejo
Erika Rubí Álvarez Hernández
