LIMA, Peru – As violence, corruption, and machismo culture annihilate the livelihood of Peruvian women and children, a vicious cycle transpires into an epidemic – feminicidio. Behind the chants of community organizers lies the drive for justice in efforts to fight against the government, which they say has normalized a system that upholds the abuse against women.
“We call Peru a land of femicides and a land of aggressors,” said Antonio Marty, a Peruvian epidemiologist who was the first to conduct a 10-year study on femicides in Peru. “We do this to raise awareness about the issue because we are a really strong machismo culture,” said Marty. For years many women in Peru have dealt with sexism, prejudice, and stereotypes. Researchers discovered that the deadliest year for women in terms of femicides in the past decade was 2023, with 258 victims.
Machismo culture, also known as misogyny, is intertwined with toxic masculinity which is the center of the cycle of violence many women and children face in Peru.
Magali Aguilar is a mother who is seeking justice for her daughter Sheyla Torres, who was killed by Torres’s ex-boyfriend Romario Aco Rodriguez on March 14, 2018. “In cases of femicide, it goes from 20 to 35 years or even life imprisonment,” said Miguel Angel who is a judge at the Superior Court of Justice in North Lima. After police captured Rodriguez, he was sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison. This sentence is an example of the justice system perpetuating the cycle of violence towards those affected by femicide.
“Until my last words, I will say justice for Sheyla Torres,” said Aguilar who created an organization called Mujeres Luchando por Justicia which advocates for those who have been victims of violence against women and children. “Until the last moment of my life, I plan to say justice for Sheyla Torres” Aguilar hopes for changes to be made within legislation and for all women to be free from gender-based violence.