Centro Mujeres is committed to fighting the systemic and often gendered denial of human rights in Baja California Sur and throughout Mexico. Our advocacy efforts aim to ensure health and human rights are at the top of local, regional and global policy agendas and raise awareness about social injustices and need for gender equity.

For the first time since 1996, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights visited Mexico in September to assess the human rights situation. In its preliminary observations the Commission highlighted, among others, the issues of torture, enforced disappearances, violence against women and extrajudicial executions, and expressed concern about the impunity for such crimes. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights visited the country for a similar purpose and stated that “there is broad consensus nationally, regionally and internationally on the gravity of the human rights situation in Mexico today. ~Amnesty International Report 2015/2016

Social change for gender equity and social and environmental justice cannot solely rely on individual and community action. In Baja California Sur there is a need for policies benefiting sectors of society that are being marginalized at diverse levels, such as women, girls, young people and migrants. CM sensitizes and educates local, state, and national policy makers about the need for specific changes in programs and policies that will allow women, youth and seasonal migrant workers to fully exercise their human rights. CM makes health and social policy recommendations to our state and municipal governments.

ProACI’s current focus is on the respect and exercise of civil liberties by women and youth in the state, and around the issue of gender based violence.

Our advocacy and policy efforts are three-fold:

Applied Research

We conduct applied research on the health and human rights of women, adolescents and seasonal migrant workers in Baja California Sur to highlight unmet needs and potential policy solutions.

Networks

Centro Mujeres has helped create and participates in many local, regional, national and global human rights and gender networks to ensure the voices of our community are reflected in policies and human rights assessments.

Local Community Action

Centro Mujeres continuously works with local policymakers to train and sensitize government workers to human rights abuses in the state.

Interested in learning more? Read about our Effects and our Partners to read more about how ProACI has helped defend health and human rights in B.C.S.

Why gender and human rights?

Conservative estimates suggest 42% of people in Mexico live in poverty and 14% live in extreme poverty.

Within these circumstances, poverty effects women and children more because of discrimination, limited access to health care and gender-based violence. Women and children in Mexico have been repeatedly denied equal protection and access to state programs.

We believe that gender equity is both the means and an end to development.