Silent Defenders: Women's Roles in Protecting Communities Against Violence
By Jocelyn Livier
Women are most likely to be murdered by someone they know. [1] The World Health Organisation indicates that about 1 in 3 women worldwide have been subjected to “...either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime”. [2] It is not uncommon that women especially those in rural areas, are left without government protections allowing for increased violence against them. Over the years, women have formed coalitions, groups, militias, and other organizations as forms of self-defense when their government has failed them. In 2020, the UN Human Rights Council acknowledged the significant contribution of women in preventing and resolving conflicts. [3] Despite this recognition, women remain underrepresented in peace-making processes. To better understand the role women play in protecting their communities, this paper explored two case studies. The first is the taking up of arms by female vigilante groups in Mexico in response to cartel violence. The second is the self-organization of the Gulabi Gang in India, an anti-rape woman group. These case studies were chosen because they both demonstrate the strength of women taking initiative to physically protect their community from violence. Women are most likely to be murdered by someone they know, particularly a domestic partner. [4] Police, governments, and communities have persistently presumed that violence within households is a private matter, empowering abusive partners. [5] At the same time, many women also face broader communal violence from local militias and criminal organizations. Such groups may “disappear” women through trafficking or murder with few repercussions. [6] These two forms of violence – at home and in the community – have led to the highest disappearance of people being 10-19 year old girls and women and few resources are spent to find them. [7] In the face of indifference, women have found ways to protect themselves and their communities. This paper explored two such cases. The first is female vigilante groups in Mexico taking up arms in response to cartel violence. The second is the self-organization of the Gulabi Gang in India, an anti-rape woman group. These case studies both demonstrate the strength of women taking the initiative to physically protect their communities from violence. It is important to recognize women’s agency and initiative in combat, defense, and protection where the law has failed them.
Grupo de Autodefensa
For six years, President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto continued his predecessor’s campaign against the cartels and the violence stemming from drug-related activities. [8] To date, it is estimated that drug cartels produce between $19 billion and $29 billion in revenue from drug sales to their biggest client, the U.S., alone. [9] Profits are not the only high figure. A 2020 report by the Congressional Research Service found that roughly 125,000-150,000 homicides were related to organized crime from 2006 to 2018. [10] Many of these homicides are local community members who resisted cartel influence.
This paper focuses on women’s resistance to major cartel groups. Namely, the Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG). It is one of the youngest, yet fastest-growing and most dangerous cartel groups in Mexico. The U.S. Department of Justice lists it as one of the top five most dangerous transnational criminal organizations in the world. [11] They are known for their ruthless violence, mass murder of community members, and decapitations. [12] They have been around since 2010. [13] CJNG began in Jalisco, Mexico before quickly spreading into Michoacan and Guanajuato. [14] These are the home states. However, now, their presence is in 27 of the 32 Mexican states. [15] They are notorious for their violence in local communities. They tax all local businesses, set up blockades for military or police assistance, forcefully remove individuals from their land and/or homes, recruit young boys, and rape women. [16] Should local community members refuse to pay taxes or join the ranks, public executions are common. [17] Unfortunately, police forces do very little. CJNG is publicly known to have weapons stronger and in larger quantities than most police stations and military bases. [18]
Michoacan in particular has seen the most violence. Armed drones have been increasingly used in local communities. [19] Community leaders such as doctors, teachers, and priests are often bribed and encouraged to spread support for the cartel. [20] With horrific murders occurring nearly daily, communities have formed militias. And as men are murdered, recruited, or tortured, women have been leading these grassroot-movements.
Hidden in the Tierras Calientes region of Michoacan lies El Terrero, a village surrounded by towns plagued by CJNG. Out of fear of violence spreading into their village, women have created a self-defense group. [21] Many of these women are pregnant or patrol with their small children. [22] They have trained themselves how to use rifles and other guns. [23] As men become scarce in these local communities, there is no one left but the women to take up arms. Roughly fifty women make up the community militia in El Terrero. [24]
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Children playing in a highway checkpoint set up by the community militia in El Terrero. [25]
A town just across the Grande River is the hometown of CJNG’s leader, “El Mencho,” sparking fear in El Terrero that it’s just a matter of time before the cartel spreads into their village. [26] Despite their reason for taking up arms, other self-defense groups have accused the women of being “foot police” and “criminals in disguise,” claiming that they parade around with weapons and enforce fear in their community though it has not yet been infiltrated by CJNG. [27] The women have strong weapons, even owning a homemade tank. [28] However, the women cite the horrible conditions they have witnessed or those their relatives experience in neighboring towns already overridden by the CJNG. One woman claims her 14-year-old niece was kidnapped, saying “We are going to defend those we have left, the children we have left, with our lives.”. [29]
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Woman by the name of “La Guera” guarding the highway in El Terrero [30]
Notably, El Terrero lies near the town of La Ruana, where a self-defense movement took place in 2013 under the leadership of lime grower Hipolito Mora (now deceased). [31] Following the successful expulsion of the Knights Templar cartel, Mora, along with many of the initial leaders, separated himself from the lingering self-defense factions. [32] He pursued a political path as a candidate for governor. [33] Ironically, he considered the female community militia to be a “criminal organization.” Women argue, however, that they are fighting because the police have failed them, just as Mora fought for the same reasons, and they cite his hypocrisy once he ran for political office. He and others who condemn these actions demonstrate the resistance women face when they take up arms. Men, however, are often seen as “freedom fighters”.
Gulabi Gang
In India, incidents of appalling sexual assaults against women have sadly become commonplace. Police data from the National Crime Records Bureau reveal a disturbing trend, with 31,516 recorded rape cases in 2022, marking a 20% rise from the previous year. [34] That’s why Sampat Pal Devi founded the Gulabi Gang. Her origin story began when she witnessed a man beating his wife. She begged him to stop until he began assaulting her. The following day, she returned with a bamboo stick and five other armed women and they beat the man. [35]
In 2006, the Gulabi Gang was founded, sporting a pink sari to represent womanhood and strength. [36] The all-women vigilante group fights rapists with lathis, long and sturdy bamboo sticks commonly used by Indian police as a weapon. [37] The Gulabi Gang now boasts more than 400,000 women members across the Indian Province of Uttar Pradesh, [38] the most dangerous province for Indian women, with a female illiteracy rate of 47%. [39] Filmmaker Nishita Dain revealed in her documentary about the Gulabi Gang that high numbers of crimes against women go unreported in Uttar due to illiteracy, poverty, lack of education, and disrespect for women in many relationships. [40]
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Gulabi Gang members with their infamous pink saris and lathis. [41]
The Gulabi women have inspired other women-led grassroots movements around India. The Purple Gang, for example, is a group of 30 women who have waged war against domestic violence, liquor addiction, and any crime against women. [42] Their leader Kasturi Prajapati encourages the wearing of purple sarees and bells around the waist. They meet weekly on Mondays and travel to homes to see if women need any help, checking in on community members. [43] Other initiatives include assisting women in finding jobs and connecting them with educational resources. [44]
Conclusion
The rise of female resistant groups when traditional law enforcement or their community has failed them is occurring worldwide. That said, it was difficult to acquire much information, articles, or reports on these women (in both scenarios), demonstrating how little attention is given to these powerful women who organize in their own defense. And often, when attention is given, it’s in the form of hypocritical criticism like that aimed at the women in Mexico. Women like those in El Terrero and in the Gulab Gang are breaking stereotypes by engaging in training and using weapons in defense of themselves and their communities. That they feel compelled to do so, however, is rooted in the structural and cultural inequities that allow the violence they’re combating to persist.
References
[Supplied]. The Gulabi Gang Now Boasts of 400,000 Members Spread across 11 Uttar Pradesh Districts [Supplied], 4 Mar. 2014, www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/3/4/gulabi-gang-indias-women-warriors. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
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Data for this study was collected by carrying out interviews.
AP News. Children Play at a Checkpoint on the Highway in El Terrero., 18 Jan. 2021. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Arocha, Sandra Pellegrini, María Fernanda. “Actor Profile: The Jalisco New Generation Cartel.” ACLED, 14 Apr. 2023, acleddata.com/2023/04/14/actor-profile-the-jalisco-new-generation-cartel/.
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[1] United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Global Study on Homicide: Gender-Related Killing of Women and Girls. 2018.
[2] World Health Organization. “Violence against Women.” World Health Organization, 25 Mar. 2024, www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women.
[3] United Nations Human Rights, Office of the High Commissioner. The International Community Must “Walk the Talk” on the Safety and Security of Women and Girls in Times of Armed Conflict: UN Experts. 24 Nov. 2023, www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2023/11/international-community-must-walk-talk-safety-and-security-women-and-girls-times#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20the%20UN%20Human%20Rights%20Council,maintenance%20and%20promotion%20of%20peace%20and%20security. Accessed 11 Apr. 2024.
[4] UN Women. “Five Essential Facts to Know about Femicide.” UN Women – Headquarters, 25 Nov. 2022, www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2022/11/five-essential-facts-to-know-about-femicide#:~:text=Current%20and%20former%20intimate%20partners.
[5] UN Women. “Five Essential Facts to Know about Femicide.” UN Women – Headquarters, 25 Nov. 2022, www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/feature-story/2022/11/five-essential-facts-to-know-about-femicide#:~:text=Current%20and%20former%20intimate%20partners.
[6] Kloppe-Santamaria, Gema , and Julia Zulver. “Beyond Collateral Damage: Femicides, Disappearances, and New Trends in Gender-Based Violence in Mexico | Wilson Center.” Www.wilsoncenter.org, 27 June 2023, www.wilsoncenter.org/article/beyond-collateral-damage-femicides-disappearances-and-new-trends-gender-based-violence.
[7] News, Vallarta Daily. “Girls from 10 to 19 Years Old Disappear the Most in Mexico.” Puerto Vallarta News, 1 Sept. 2022, www.vallartadaily.com/girls-from-10-to-19-years-old-disappear-the-most-in-mexico/. Accessed 6 June 2024.
[8] CNN Library. “Mexico Drug War Fast Facts.” CNN, 20 Mar. 2022, www.cnn.com/2013/09/02/world/americas/mexico-drug-war-fast-facts/index.html.
[9] Alman, Lara. United States of America-Mexico Bi-National Criminal Proceeds Study. 2010.
Data for this study was collected by carrying out interviews.
[10] Beittel, June. Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations. Congressional Research Service, 28 July 2020.
[11] Department of Justice. “Justice, Treasury, and State Departments Announce Coordinated Enforcement Efforts against Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion.” Www.justice.gov, 16 Oct. 2018, www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-treasury-and-state-departments-announce-coordinated-enforcement-efforts-against.
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Arocha, Sandra Pellegrini, María Fernanda. “Actor Profile: The Jalisco New Generation Cartel.” ACLED, 14 Apr. 2023, acleddata.com/2023/04/14/actor-profile-the-jalisco-new-generation-cartel/.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Ibid.
Felbab-Brown, Vanda. “How Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación Rules.” Brookings, 29 May 2022, www.brookings.edu/articles/how-mexicos-cartel-jalisco-nueva-generacion-rules/.
[17] Felbab-Brown, Vanda. “How Mexico’s Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación Rules.” Brookings, 29 May 2022, www.brookings.edu/articles/how-mexicos-cartel-jalisco-nueva-generacion-rules/.
[18] Ibid.
[19] Ibid.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Staff, M. N. D. “Women Take up Arms to Protect Their Homes from CJNG in Michoacán.” Mexico News Daily, 18 Jan. 2021, mexiconewsdaily.com/news/women-take-up-arms-to-protect-their-homes-from-cjng-in-michoacan/. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
[22] Ibid.
[23] Solis, Armando. “In Mexico, Women Take the Front Lines as Vigilantes.” AP News, 16 Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/mexico-11bf21a9a3cce149fb4b8bbc56366923.
[24] Ibid.
[25] AP News. Children Play at a Checkpoint on the Highway in El Terrero., 18 Jan. 2021. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
[26] Staff, M. N. D. “Women Take up Arms to Protect Their Homes from CJNG in Michoacán.” Mexico News Daily, 18 Jan. 2021, mexiconewsdaily.com/news/women-take-up-arms-to-protect-their-homes-from-cjng-in-michoacan/. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
[27] Ibid.
[28] Solis, Armando. “In Mexico, Women Take the Front Lines as Vigilantes.” AP News, 16 Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/mexico-11bf21a9a3cce149fb4b8bbc56366923.
[29] Ibid.
[30] Solis, Armando. An Armed Woman Who Goes by the Nickname “La Guera,” and Who Says She Is a Member of a Female-Led, Self-Defense Group, Patrols the Edge of Her Town El Terrero on January 14, 2021., 14 Jan. 2021, nypost.com/2021/01/16/mexicos-female-vigilantes-take-lead-in-fighting-drug-cartels/. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
[31] SÁNCHEZ, FABIOLA, and MARK STEVENSON. “Anti-Gang Community Defense Activist Hipólito Mora Slain in Mexico.” AP News, 29 June 2023, apnews.com/article/mexico-activist-killed-drug-cartel-bf8cd1c5daf3b84b53d89a45ac2fdfb5.
[32] Solis, Armando. “In Mexico, Women Take the Front Lines as Vigilantes.” AP News, 16 Jan. 2021, apnews.com/article/mexico-11bf21a9a3cce149fb4b8bbc56366923.
[33] SÁNCHEZ, FABIOLA, and MARK STEVENSON. “Anti-Gang Community Defense Activist Hipólito Mora Slain in Mexico.” AP News, 29 June 2023, apnews.com/article/mexico-activist-killed-drug-cartel-bf8cd1c5daf3b84b53d89a45ac2fdfb5.
[34] Saaliq, Sheikh. “Gang Rape of a Tourist in India Highlights Its Struggle to Curb Sexual Violence against Women.” AP News, 5 Mar. 2024, apnews.com/article/india-sexual-violence-rape-b9016c82074c08583080db846d64055b.
[35] Gulabi Gang. “Gulabi Gang :: History.” Gulabigang.in, gulabigang.in/history.php.
[36] Ibid.
[37] Merriam-Webster Dictionary. “Definition of LATHI.” Www.merriam-Webster.com, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lathi. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Desai, Shweta. “Gulabi Gang: India’s Women Warriors.” Www.aljazeera.com, 4 Mar. 2014, www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/3/4/gulabi-gang-indias-women-warriors.
[38] Desai, Shweta. “Gulabi Gang: India’s Women Warriors.” Www.aljazeera.com, 4 Mar. 2014, www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/3/4/gulabi-gang-indias-women-warriors.
[39] Ibid.
[40] Ibid.
[41] [Supplied]. The Gulabi Gang Now Boasts of 400,000 Members Spread across 11 Uttar Pradesh Districts [Supplied], 4 Mar. 2014, www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/3/4/gulabi-gang-indias-women-warriors. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
[42] Nair, Pallavi. “Purple Gang’s Crusade against Domestic Violence.” The Times of India, 16 Sept. 2015, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/purple-gangs-crusade-against-domestic-violence/articleshow/48984139.cms. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
[43] Ibid.
[44] Ibid.
