SINCE 1993, the Mexican border town of Juarez has been the location of the violent deaths of hundreds of women and girls, including numerous unsolved, under-reported, murders.
Amnesty International estimates that more than 370 women and girls have been murdered in Ciudad Juarez and the city of Chihuahua in the last decade alone. At least a third of these were the victims of sexual assault. Only 20 per cent of the murder cases have been investigated and many of the mothers of victims have received death threats for demanding justice.
The situation in Juarez is the subject of the documentary No Country for Young Women: Blood Rising, directed by Irish film-maker Mark McLoughlin. The film will be screened this Thursday [March 5] at 8pm in the NUI Galway Huston School of Film and Digital Media, across from Galway Cathedral, to mark International Women’s Day.
Women from the region engaged artist Brian Maguire to try to bring the ongoing struggle to international attention. Director Mark McLoughlin works with Brian’s art as the foundation of his film, taking his camera to the streets of Juarez talking to the families of victims, many of whom feared retribution. The musical score is composed and performed by Gavin Friday.
“This is a compelling story that we need to see, understand, and do something about,” said Liz Connolly of Amnesty International Galway. “As we near International Women’s Day we need to understand what is happening in Mexico and that the women and girls of Juarez are in fear for their lives every day, while their police and government do not seem to care.”
Admission is free and all are welcome.
