I started work at Centro Las Libres this week! The women there are absolutely wonderful. They work in a small white house with a beautiful garden and a great view of the city. When I got to work one of the lawyers explained a lot about the current situation in Guanajuato.
*The law states that any woman in Guanajuato who becomes pregnant because of a violation can access an abortion. In practice when women have gone to court to get permission, they have been sent to jail for between a few years and 10 years for trying to “murder” their child.

*Because incest falls under a different set of laws, it does not fall under the definition of a violation. Therefore, victims of incest have no legal access to abortions.

*There are several cases of women giving birth to stillborn babies and subsequently being accused of intentionally murdering the child. We visit a group of 10 women in jail for this “crime” every week. One of them is 22 and will be in jail until she is 48.

*In regards to violence against women, Guanajuato offers the least protection of any state in Mexico. After Las muertes en Juarez hace 10 años (http://sepiensa.org.mx/contenidos/l_lasmuertas/muerta1.htm) all of the states passed laws specifically describing the protection and resources that the government will provide for women and victims of femicide. The government in Guanajuato refused to pass such laws, stating that violence against women is no different from violence against any individual and the state should not be required to provide extra resources for women.


The organization addresses these issues among others by offering protection, legal representation, free professional counseling, educational workshops in the city and in the communities surrounding the city and a safe haven for victims of violence and sexual abuse. In the organization there are 3 lawyers, a weekly psychologist and several volunteers. My jobs this week included translating websites and e-mails sent by grant organizations in English and reading through newspapers to find and save articles about any of the issues pertaining to Centro Las Libres. In the future I will be able to help with the sexual health workshops and in organizing visits to the jail and communities outside the city. I couldn’t be more excited about everything I am about to learn!

Outside of volunteering, I love it here. How could anyone complain in a city that has $1.50 beers, $1 quesadillas and salsa dancing until 5 in the morning?