“In 2002, the mother of Laura Berenice Ramos Monárrez gave me her photo to create this painting. Laura Berenice was a desaparecida from the maquilas in Ciudad Juarez, and was found in a cotton field irrigation ditch near downtown Ciudad Juarez with 7 other women. I had never documented this painting before I shipped it to the National Museum of Mexican Art (Chicago) for their permanent collection and am so happy that they have dedicated this page to her on their website. Her Mother said, ‘A Laura Berenice le gustaba sus frijoles y sopita aguada. Le encantaba bailar.‘ Laura Berenice was 17 years old. Que en paz descanse.” – Victoria Delgadillo
The “Cotton Field” (Campo Algodonero) in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, is a site of profound historical significance regarding violence against women, having become a focal point for international human rights litigation and a memorial to victims of femicide. the bodies of eight women, some of whom were minors, were discovered in a cotton field in Ciudad Juárez. These 8 women who had been sexually assaulted and murdered were discovered on November 6, 2001 .
Background
On November 4, 2007, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights filed a case against Mexico for the disappearance and murders of Claudia Ivette González, Esmeralda Herrera Monreal and Laura Berenice Ramos Monárrez. The murders occurred in Ciudad Juárez, a city on the border of the U.S. and Mexico, where gender-based violence, including abduction, rape and murder of young women became endemic in the 1990s. The bodies of the women, two of whom were minors, were discovered in an abandoned cotton field known as Campo Algodonero. The case was submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which held two public hearings on April 28, and 29 in 2009.
Outcome
On December 10, 2009, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights found Mexico in violation of human rights obligations under the American Convention of Human Rights and the Convention of Belém do Pará. The Court ordered Mexico to comply with a broad set of remedial measures including constructing a national memorial, renewing investigations, and providing reparations of over $200,000 to each of the families involved in the lawsuit.
Read More on this case —Warning: This case deals with topics that are especially grave and may cause trauma invoked by memories of past abuse. If you have experienced violence and need assistance, please refer to this list of country help lines provided by UN Women.