HISTORICAL MOMENT
With Rosa María Ángel de Frade
Congress passes Law against femicide

“This is a historical moment for our country,” declared Rosa María, congresswoman of the independent group “Guatemala” and vice president of the Congressional Committee on Women. Interviewed by Sirel, she tells us how the Anti-Femicide Act was passed in Congress.

-What is the situation in Guatemala with respect to violence against women?

-There has been great concern for a long time now among various strata of Guatemalan society over the high levels of violence against women, and I’m talking about different kinds of violence, including sexual, psychological, economical… As a result of the enormous efforts of numerous institutions and women’s organizations, we presented a bill for an “Act Against Femicide and Other Forms of Violence Against Women.”

Guatemala is not free from a reality that affects women around the world, which is the violence that stems from the unequal power relations that exist between men and women, from sexism, and from the vulnerable positions that women are often forced into. That is why we believed that we needed to introduce a specific law that would typify as crimes not only these forms of violence, but femicide as well.

-What are these vulnerabilities?

-They range from the difference in physical power that generally exists between a man and a woman, to more important differences such as economic dependence, a lack of autonomy to access production tasks, the obligation to work double shifts in the case of women workers, the greater dependency of children as compared to men, and the huge number of women that are heads of household and must care for their families on their own, among other vulnerabilities. In Guatemala, the greatest illiteracy rate is found among women, specially indigenous and rural women. It’s the same with poverty and extreme poverty figures. This makes them more vulnerable to violence than women in other parts of the world.

-What is femicide?

-The violent death of a woman by virtue of her gender. The Law also contains other provisions, such as measures aimed at prevention, providing advice to victims and strengthening the judicial system by setting up a special prosecutor’s office to deal with reports of violence against women. Moreover, it establishes the obligation to create, within the medium term, special courts to hear these cases.

- The Law was finally passed on Wednesday the 9^th…

-It was passed with the unanimous vote of all the legislators in attendance in Congress. I’d like to stress that while over the weeks and months leading up to the approval the debates were really intense, we arrived at the voting session having carried out very strong and efficient efforts to raise political and social awareness, both in Congress and in the rest of society, and these efforts were what enabled this consensus, which does Guatemalan society a great deal of good. I would also like to point out that just a few hours after this Law was passed, I and some of the other congresswomen that are members of the Women’s Committee were able to meet with President Álvaro Colom, who promised to enact the Law as soon as Congress sent it to him. We believe that this is a historical moment in the life of our country.

-It took a lot to achieve this Law, which had met with a great deal of opposition. What was it that changed so that this spectacular outcome could be achieved today?

-Guatemalan society is waiting and it needs spaces to debate and reach consensuses. An erroneous interpretation of this text, which saw the Law as being founded on a confrontation between men and women, prevented it from being passed in the past. Now everyone has fully understood that by fighting for all women to enjoy a life without violence we are simply seeking to achieve the equality of all human beings and to strengthen the family. This approach, which guides us all, men and women, to work in harmony, collaboration and solidarity, for the good of society as a whole, was key in raising awareness.

-What sentences does this Law establish?

-For femicide cases, the Law establishes the maximum prison sentence that is applied in Guatemala, which is 50 years in prison, without any possibility of reducing the term. For the first time, psychological violence and economic violence –like being denied the right to freely enjoy and dispose of one’s property– are typified as crimes, with sentences ranging from three to eight years in prison. The most important thing is that if we have a legal framework to act when the initial manifestations of violence occur, we are –in the words of those who’ve worked with the victims– “wrenching lives away from death.”

-How do you see the solidarity of the IUF Women’s Conference with your struggle and this gain you have just achieved?

-It’s very important, because this is a global scourge. It has been a difficult struggle, especially for the women that came before us, not just in Congress, but also in women’s organizations, so these displays of solidarity and support encourage us enormously to move forward. As a representative of one of these organizations said after the vote, let us not allow this Law to silence our voices. It must give us more strength to continue in our efforts so that in Guatemala we can once and for all achieve justice and respect for the rights of women, especially those who suffer violence.