On December 11, 2024, the Academy of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, in collaboration with ReLeG, held an online panel discussion: Gender-Based Violence in Mobility: A Regional Challenge, A Collective Commitment.

This discussion, as the previous one held on October 31, 2024, regarding the Ruling in the Manta and Vilca Case, is part of a series of dialogues to promote greater visibility of the impact of strategic litigation in cases of gender-based violence in Latin America. The panel was organized within the framework of the ACTUEMOS initiative, driven by UN Women and the European Union. The initiative aims to foster transformative feminist action to eradicate violence against women, and to do so, it aims to strengthen women’s participation in global advocacy spaces.

For this occasion, we had the privilege of having Gina Cabarcas as moderator. She is the Director of the Justice and Criminal Policy Laboratory.

We also had the opportunity to hear from very experienced panelists: 

• Felipe González: Former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants.
• Lorena Cano: Legal Coordinator of the Institute for Women in Migration (IMUMI).
• Celia Medrano: Journalist specializing in human rights, human mobility, and public administration.
• Maria Alejandra Mangano: Prosecutor at the Office for Human Trafficking and Exploitation (PROTEX – Public Prosecutor's Office of Argentina)

The panel focused on the multiple challenges faced by women and girls in mobility in Latin America, which include severe situations of gender-based violence and the risk of becoming victims of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and rape, among others, due to the extreme conditions, and the lack of access to safety measures and basic infrastructure.

The panelists identified the main challenges women and girls in mobility face in accessing justice and highlighted specific practices and initiatives to address these issues in Latin America. The debate adopted a collaborative and cross-border approach to tackle the barriers contributing to impunity for gender-based violence against women and girls in the region.

If you missed the event and would like to watch the recording, please click on the following link: https://wcl.mediasite.com/mediasite/Play/e9e09661ce844a08a1ad3ab71ea93e051d