Free Essay About A New Law In Guatemala

In a culture where violence against women is perpetrated daily and impunity is expected, Guatemala has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world. The country is also widely known for its participation in the human trafficking of women. Women are violently killed on a daily basis in Guatemala, and thousands are reported missing every year. Women have been subjected to violence of this nature due to the culturally instilled idea that violence against women is a domestic issue to be handled directly by family. Even with laws making femicide a crime, Guatemala’s rate of violence against women has not decreased. However, this may change due to a law recently enacted in Guatemala. Guatemala’s Congress has passed a law that aims to decrease the formidable treatment of women in the country.
The new law will require law enforcement to search for reported missing women immediately in order to prevent the missing women from being forced into human trafficking by their captors. Prior to the passage of this new law, searches were not conducted of missing women as law enforcement immediately made assumptions that the women simply ran away. Under the new law, DNA databases of those convicted of sexual exploitation crimes will be create, and government agencies will be required to work together in their search for the missing woman. In addition to passage of the new law, the Guatemalan Attorney General’s Office is considering the creation of an office specifically designed to address femicide. Although the new office has not been created, the new law has been passed and is expected to help decrease the violence perpetrated against women in Guatemala.