Most searches for the forcibly disappeared are led by women (women searchers), who face risks, attacks, and harm to their health and finances.
Role of Women Searchers
- Women searchers compensate for states’ neglect in searching for disappeared individuals.
- Amnesty International urges states to take diligent action to counter human rights violations against women searchers.
International Campaign
To commemorate International Day of the Disappeared, Amnesty International launches the campaign “Searching without Fear” to highlight the crucial work of women searchers in the Americas.
Need for Determining Disappearances
- States must determine the whereabouts of the disappeared to ease the suffering of families and communities.
Amnesty International Report
Amnesty International publishes the report “Searching Without Fear: International Standards for Protecting Women Searchers in the Americas” to acknowledge the leadership of women in searching for forcibly disappeared individuals.
Colombia and Mexico Cases
- Colombia and Mexico struggle with enforced disappearances, with women searchers leading the way in seeking truth and justice.
Risks Faced by Women Searchers
Women searchers confront various risks, threats, and attacks in their mission to seek their missing loved ones.
State Obligations
Amnesty International calls on states to guarantee women searchers’ rights, protect them from dangers, and investigate human rights violations they endure.
End Institutional Inaction
States must fulfill their obligations to search for the disappeared and safeguard the rights of women searchers, ensuring they can search without fear.
Source: www.amnesty.org