Femicide

Femicide in Latin America and the United States

 "Crimes against women permeate Latin American culture and society. Defined by the United Nations (UN), femicide is, "a crime involving the violent and deliberate killing of a woman" because of her gender. Although femicide refers to cases resulting in deaths of women, other forms of gender discrimination include degradation of women on a physical, psychological, economic, or sexual level. Of the 32 countries where femicide most frequently occurs, Latin American countries represent 17 of them. Mexico, ranked sixth in the world for crimes against women, has seen a rise in femicide by 46 percent since 2013. In February 2016, the Mexican state of Jalisco felt obligated to declare a “gender alert,” due to the systemic violence targeting women. Femicide statistics in Mexico are frightening. On average, seven women are killed each day as a result of gender violence, a rate 15 times higher than the world’s average. Husbands, boyfriends, or family members commit 66 percent of femicide attacks. To make matters worse, these numbers are likely underestimated since many cases are either not reported or classified properly."

    - Malone Gabor. "Femicide: Not one more"

 

"More than 40 percent of femicide victims in Mexico knew their killer, and femicides are particularly brutal crimes: women are more likely than men to be killed by strangulation, drowning, suffocation, and stabbing. These astounding statistics have an impact on the perception of security in Mexico as 77 percent of Mexican women report not feeling safe."

    - Linnea Sandin. "Femicides in Mexico: Impunity and Protests"

 

Number of femicides in Mexico from January 2019 to December 2021:

 

  

 

 

 

ig @feminist_collages_nyc  Photo by @colin.cauldwell (posted November 2, 2021)

 

"On average, there are 5 to 6 femicides every day in the U.S."

 

 

 @feminist_collages_nyc (posted April 30, 2021)

"50% to 75% of fatal domestic violence happens when women try to leave the relationship or after they have left. The total number of women killed by an intimate partner in the U.S., regardless of the weapon, is closer to 127 per month (based on the 2017 figure)."

 

 

  

 

I first heard the word "femicide" when reading about hundreds of women who went missing in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. They would be found murdered, dismembered, and mutilated, or they would never be found again. The Mexican government was not showing that they were concerned with this dire issue. Mexican women protested against the government who were not prosecuting the men who committed femicide. In most cases, it is known who murders the thousands of women killed so far. They are male, and they are the women’s partners, family members, or an unknown man (or men) that a woman comes into contact with while walking home, or while riding a bus. I later found out femicides were also occurring in other countries in Latin America and in the United States. Since then, I have found out femicide is prevalent in many other parts of the world.

This issue is important to me because the number of women and girls who are being killed is increasing and instead of being addressed, governments are not acknowledging what is happening or not interested in locating and prosecuting the men responsible. Awareness of this issue needs to be spread across the world so that more people will learn about what femicide is and work towards ending it.

Blog post created by: Priscilla Palato

 

Activism

"The impunity situation in Ciudad Juárez provoked many citizens to join, organize, or create social movement organizations. The general goal of these movements is to address the impunity and lack of police and government action relating to femicide. The organizations use social movement framing to present their concerns and proposed solutions to the government and the public."

   - Chelsea Starr. "When Culture Matters: Frame Resonance and Protests against Femicide in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico"

                                                                                                                   

 

Local art collective “Los Dos” in collaboration with Maintain Studios present mural in Juarez in celebration of “Dia internacional de la lucha.” https://www.theprospectordaily.com/2020/03/02/feminists-fight-for-change-through-artivism/

A mural in Cali, Colombia aims to raise public awareness about violence against women. (Ellas Hacen Falta). https://deeply.thenewhumanitarian.org/womenandgirls/articles/2017/11/01/street-artists-challenge-sexism-with-spray-paint-in-colombias-cities

 

 

"Women Are Being Killed With Impunity in Mexico" 

(WARNING: This video contains graphic content.)

 

 

"Mexico's Historic March Against Femicide"

 

 "Feminist Collages: The Fight to be Seen"

 

 

 

 

Additional reading (not used as a source):

"Disappearing Daughters" https://projects.seattletimes.com/2020/femicide-juarez-mexico-border/

 

 

Sources:

  

Albaladejo, Angelika. “Street Artists Challenge Sexism with Spray Paint in Columbia’s Cities.” The New Humanitarian, 1 Nov. 2017, deeply.thenewhumanitarian.org/womenandgirls/articles/2017/11/01/street-artists-challenge-sexism-with-spray-paint-in-colombias-cities.

Feminist Collages NYC [@feminist_collages_nyc]. “She Leaves Him He Kills Her.” Instagram, photographed by Feminist Collages NYC Collective, 30 Apr. 2021, www.instagram.com/p/COS5Lt1ArYB/.

Feminist Collages NYC [@feminist_collages_nyc]. “To Our Sisters Murdered in 2021 We Won’t Forget You.” Instagram, photographed by Colin Cauldwell [@colin.cauldwell], 2 Nov. 2021, www.instagram.com/p/CVyF54Err0R/.

“Feminist Collages: The Fight to be Seen.” YouTube, uploaded by Nichole Tan, 22 June 2021, youtu.be/HOZbtArWlsI.

Gabor, Malone. “Femicide: Not One More.” Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 24 Oct. 2016, www.coha.org/femicide-not-one-more/.

Martinez, Jaqueline. “Feminists fight for change through ‘artivism’.” The Prospector Daily, 2 Mar. 2020, www.theprospectordaily.com/2020/03/02/feminists-fight-for-change-through-artivism/.

“Mexico’s Historic March Against Femicide.” YouTube, uploaded by Brut America, 29 May 2020, youtu.be/P0a5cBxPJ_I.

“Number of femicides in Mexico from January 2019 to December 2021.” Statista, Jan. 2022, www.statista.com/statistics/979076/mexico-number-femicides-month/.

Sandin, Linnea. “Femicides in Mexico: Impunity and Protests.” Center For Strategic & International Studies, 19 Mar. 2020, www.csis.org/analysis/femicides-mexico-impunity-and-protests.

Starr, Chelsea. “When Culture Matters: Frame Resonance and Protests against Femicide in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.” The Qualitative Report, vol. 22, no. 5, 20 May 2017, pp. 1359-1378, DOAJ Open Access Full Text, doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2017.2967.

“Women Are Being Killed With Impunity in Mexico.” YouTube, uploaded by VICE News, 17 Aug. 2020, youtu.be/NO3uj81X7O8.

Is Anorexia More Prevalent Than We Think?

 

Is Anorexia More Prevalent Than We Think?

What is the difference between anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia? 

Anorexia nervosa is defined as “abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of weight” (Mayo Clinic, 2018). This is an eating disorder that affects individuals drastically due to the psychological and physical factors placed upon them. With anorexia nervosa, signs and symptoms may differ from individuals. Stereotypically, many would think one with anorexia nervosa is extremely skinny. This is not true for many as they can be suffering from atypical anorexia. According to the newest edition of DSM5, atypical anorexia are those who meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa, but they are not underweight (Golden and Philip, 2020). 

Why is atypical anorexia not talked about? Is it dangerous? 

Atypical anorexia is dangerous to many since they might not be aware that they have an eating disorder. Anorexia is characterized as under- eating and oftentimes, over exercising. Many individuals can be losing weight at a drastic rate, but believe that it is healthy since they are still at a “normal weight”. This stems from unhealthy diets such as counting calories, food limitations, and unrealistic ideas of what is defined as “healthy”. As atypical anorexia progresses, it can stem into anorexia nervosa. This creates a dangerous cycle of unhealthy eating habits that can affect their mental and physical health. 

                                     Prevalence of anorexia nervosa (orange) vs. atypical nervosa (blue)

Psychological and behavioral symptoms of anorexia

• Frequently refusing or skipping meals 

• Eating “safe” foods (low in calories) and avoiding “fear foods” 

• Social withdrawal 

• Irritability 

• Frequent checking of mirrors for perceived flaws 

Physical symptoms 

• Extreme weight loss 

• Thinning of hair 

• Fatigue

• Insomnia

• Abnormal blood counts → risk for anemia 

• Dehydration

Why is this important to me?

I chose this topic because it is prevalent in today's society with the use of social media. Many users on multiple platforms (Instagram, Pintrest, Tiktok, Youtube) often seen creators promote diets and create unrealistic visions of what "skinny" is. Taking in consideration of how many younger people are engaged in these platforms, this causes an unhealthy idealization of how they should look like.

Sources

Golden, Neville H., and Philip S. Mehler. “Atypical Anorexia Nervosa Can Be Just as Bad.” Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 1 Mar. 2020, https://www.ccjm.org/content/87/3/172.

Mayo Clinic. “Anorexia Nervosa.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 20 Feb. 2018, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anorexia-nervosa/symptoms-causes/syc-20353591.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

 

• The Three R's 
• 

• In todays world there are so many social issues going on, and it can feel like you can’t do anything to fix them, because you are just one person. While that may be true in many instances, there is an old motto that is very easy to follow that will help with several social issues at the same time: reduce, reuse, recycle. First off, one you are already probably doing:

• Recycle! 

• When you recycle an item and it turns in to something new, materials aren’t wasted, energy from manufacturing is saved, there’s less trash going to landfills or ending up in the ocean, and it is better for the animals. Did you know LA county creates 28 million tons of trash every single year? Recycling is SO easy! Yet many people don’t do it properly, if at all. Recycling regulations vary from place to place, so check with your city about specifications. Through your local recycling company, find out which container you use; for example usually in LA county there are blue trash cans or dumpsters. Which items do they accept? This is very important and varies as well. Also just because your normal recycle company doesn’t take certain recyclables, there are places you can take them. 
• What items can you recycle? Paper- all clean paper and cardboard can go right in the recycle bin. Glass- just clean it and its ready to go. Plastic- this one can be kind of confusing because not all plastic can go in your home recycle bin, make sure to check for the number on the bottom of container! Numbers 1 or 2 on the bottom can go in there, but usually 3 and 5 can’t. It is very important to check on this. Metal- just like these other guys make sure its all clean, with no food particles. Batteries and electronics can also be recycled, usually at some sort of recycling center. As you can see the most important parts are to recycle everything you can (because anything thats not recycled or composted goes to the landfill), make sure the items you are putting in the recycle can indeed be recycled and aren’t going to make that whole bin ruined, and make sure everything is clean. For example if you ordered a pizza and you want to recycle a cardboard box, rip off the greasy bottom of the box and only recycle the top half as long as that remained grease and food free. 

• 
  
  
• Reuse! 

• Even better than recycling, which still has to be processed again and therefor affects our environment, reusing is an even cleaner solution. Food containers like glass jars can be cleaned and reused, or items like cardboard could be used by an elementary school for projects. My favorite way to reuse is by not buying new items, but by shopping at thrift, antique or resale stores, garage sales, or on Craigslist. Besides some items like electronics, dog beds, and my couch, all the items in my apartment and lots of my wardrobe were not purchased new. Even my pug and cat are rescues! Besides loving thrift shopping and the antiques I find there, the prices are SO much cheaper than new anyways! So it is economical as well. Not to mention the fashion industry is a massive contributor to landfills (According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 17 million tons of textile waste were generated in 2018), they are responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions every year, and pollute water which affects humans and animals. Plus most fashion is made with horrible labor conditions and in sweat shops. Do you really want to be wearing clothes everyone else is from Forever 42 and decorating your home with mass-produced crap from Home Goods? Yuck! 
• 
  
  
  

• Reduce!

• When you do buy new things like food or drinks, clothing, etc, make good decisions! 
• Some examples: 
• -Instead of getting single-use items like water bottles, use a reusable cup
• -Buy items at the grocery store in bulk, like rice or granola that you put in your own glass container
• -Bring reusable bags everywhere! Not just the grocery store
• -Go digital, do things online instead of with paper
• -Reduce your animal product consumption like meat or dairy and eat vegetarian or vegan
• -Don’t purchase an abundance of paper towels, use cloth ones and wash them 
• 
  
  
  
• Why its important to me 

• Reducing, reusing and recycling are important to me because it is such an easy way for EVERYONE to participate in making the world a better place. Even my moms Kindergarten students are on the school “Green Team” where they make sure things are being properly sorted into trash, recycle and compost bins at recess. And doing these simple things don’t only affect our over-full landfills, they will make our air cleaner to breathe, our land and water safer and cleaner for people and animals, support good business practices, conserves natural and limited resources like trees, saves energy, and all of these benefits means a longer-lasting and healthier planet for the future generations. Plus being conscience of all this means less trash on the streets and a more beautiful city. Who doesn’t want that!? 

• Sources:

• How to recycle and why you should do it. The Student Conservation Association. (2019, February 21). Retrieved April 4, 2022, from https://www.thesca.org/connect/blog/how-recycle-and-why-you-should-do-it

  Los Angeles County. (2021, December 9). L.A. County to take big bite out of plastic pollution. Los Angeles County. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://ceo.lacounty.gov/2020/02/03/sustainability/l-a-county-to-take-big-bite-out-of-plastic-pollution/

Crystal Ulloa - Food Insecurity

Crystal Ulloa 

 Food Insecurity in our communities and what we can do to help

I chose the topic of food insecurity because it is an issue I have seen progress in in my community of East Los Angeles and the communities surrounding that. These folks deserve a voice and accessible resources at all times! In this blog I share food insecurity resources and how you can be an ally! 

What is Food Insecurity? 

Food insecurity is described as a lack of money or other resources causing a change in food intake or eating behaviors. In 2014, 17.4 million households in the United States experienced food insecurity at some point throughout the year. 

Food insecurity does not always result in hunger, but hunger is a possible consequence of it. Long-term or short-term food insecurity are both possible. Income, employment, race/ethnicity, and disability are all possible influences. When money to buy food is scarce or unavailable, the risk of hunger rises. Food insecurity was reported by 31.6 percent of low-income households in 2016, compared to 12.3 percent nationally.

 Unemployment can have a negative impact on a family's ability to feed themselves. It's more difficult for low-income people to meet their basic food demands because of high unemployment rates. There are racial and ethnic disparities in food insecurity. In 2016, black non-Hispanic households were nearly twice as likely as the national average to be food insecure (22.5 percent versus 12.3 percent, respectively). In comparison to the national average, 18.5 percent of Hispanic households experienced food insecurity (12.3 percent ). Due to limited career prospects and healthcare-related expenses that lower the cash available to buy food, disabled adults may be at a higher risk of food insecurity.

 Furthermore, children whose parents are unemployed have a higher rate of food insecurity than children whose parents are employed.

 

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020

To show how drastic measures are, RescuingLeftOvers.org has shared this statistic with us; 

"1 in 8 Americans experience food insecurity while $200 billion is being spent on food that will never be eaten. That’s billions of pounds of food wasted, instead of going to those who need it."

Resources: 

Many may not be aware, but there are many communities surrounding Los Angeles, trying to help one another through 'Community Fridges', in hopes it makes food more accessible. Community Fridges arose after the pandemic caused many local grocery shops to shut down, run out of inventory, and/or raise their prices to accommodate the pandemic's economic impact. A lot of folks were left either paying those high prices, while still risking getting sick, or not getting groceries at all. Not to mention the thousands of folks who lost their jobs during the pandemic, leaving many hungry, and broke. 

These are some of the cities with accessible community Fridges:

Boyle Heights

Has Pantry

2633 E Cesar Chaves Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033

Located inside Milpa Grille

Accessible 11am-6pm every day.

Eagle Rock

Has pantry

4808 Townsend Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90041

Accessible weekdays: 7am-3pm. Weekends: 7am Sat-6pm Sunday

Located outside, on Yosemite and Townsend.

East Hollywood

Has pantry

4621 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90029

Accessible 24/7

Located outside, in front of Santa Monica Grocery.

Echo Park

1448 N Alvarado St, Los Angeles, CA 90026

Accessible 6:30am-10pm

Located inside of Aroma Laundry.

El Sereno

Has pantry

5469 Huntington Dr.. N, Los Angeles, CA 90032

Accessible 24/7

Located outside, on the corner of Maycrest Ave and Huntington Dr. N.

Koreatown Solar

Has pantry

426 S Alexandria Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020

Accessible 24/7

Located outside, on the sidewalk in front of Alexandria House.

Los Feliz

Has pantry

1733 N New Hampshire Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

Accessible 24/7

Located outside, in the parking lot behind Mt Hollywood Church.

Skid Row (Gladys Park)

808 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021

Accessible 7am-7:30pm

Located Behind the gate to the left of the park entrance.

South Central

8609 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90003

Accessible 24/7

Uptown Whittier

Has pantry

7201 Greenleaf Ave d, Whittier, CA 90602

Accessible Wed - Fri 2-7, Sat 11 - 7, Sun 11-5

Located inside Midnight Books

What some Community Fridges might need or what you can donate:

Could use more: 🥫 pantry goods | alimentos no perecederos, 🧻 sanitary items | productos de higiene, 🥗 prepared meals | alimentos preparadas, 🍓 fruit | frutas, 🥬 vegetables | verduras , 🍞 bread | pan , 🧀 cheese | quesos, 🥛 milk | leche, ❄️ frozen food | alimentos congeladas, 🥤 water/drinks | aguas/bebidas,  🥐 pastries | pasteles, 👝 grocery bags | bolsas de la compra, ❄️ ice packs | compresas de hielo

How you can help:

In order to help folks in our communities have a voice, we must contribute to the many resources available. If you find there is a Community Fridge in your community and you find yourself with groceries you may not need or want, lend a helping hand and donate those items to a Fridge, shelter, or family in need. 

You can find out if your community has a "community Fridge" by visiting:

 https://linktr.ee/lacommunityfridge

You can also donate to scarce food organizations such as:

https://www.rescuingleftovercuisine.org/

Those who have struggled with food insecurity have said:

 "Ever since COVID began you know there haven't been that many cheap resources, and I always just buy a box of pizza for my kids when I can't get to the grocery store, I mean, grocery prices went up to. I can't always afford the healthy foods." - Esidrio Gomez

"I wish healthy groceries like fruits and vegetables were cheaper I would be eating more of that probably." - Ivon Solis 

"If I knew the economy was going to crash and people were going to get laid off I would have stocked up on food and resources because now I do struggle sometimes to get the groceries I want AND for cheap. That's why we have to be grateful for what we have when we have it, that should be a lesson for everyone." - Steve Martinez

Sources

 https://linktr.ee/lacommunityfridge

https://www.rescuingleftovercuisine.org/

https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020

RescuingLeftOvers.org