Maya Migrants and Gendered Violence in Cancún, Mexico

• In Event: Migración e interculturalidad

Abstract

Violence against women in Mexico is one of the highest in the world (Fregoso 2012). In Cancún, México, one quarter of women are victims of domestic violence. In 2015, cases of gender violence doubled. For indigenous migrant women, who find themselves far from social support networks established in their communities, exposure to gender-based and race-based violence can lead to greater isolation and marginalization. To help Maya migrant women identify and address structural violence, I organized a “taller de mujer” in January 2015. This paper examines the themes discussed in the workshop and how they illuminate the dynamics of gender and race-based violence in Cancún.

Author

• Bianet Castellanos