International Women's Day was commemorated at the Women's Social Reintegration Center of Tepepan in Mexico City. Rebeca Peralta, vice president of the Human Rights Commission of the CDMX Congress, participated in the commemoration alongside women who are incarcerated. In this context, Peralta highlighted the importance of maintaining the rights of all women, regardless of their situation.
According to Peralta, women who are incarcerated face a double punishment by being in prison: on one hand, they serve a sentence, and on the other, they are abandoned by their families and loved ones. At the Women's Social Reintegration Center, approximately 80% of the women do not receive visits, largely because, while incarcerated, they cannot fulfill their traditional roles as mothers, wives, or daughters.
During the commemoration, the inmates gathered in the courtyard of the women's prison, where Rebeca Peralta allowed them to imprint their hands on a mural as a symbol of the struggle for women's rights. Peralta also emphasized that behind every incarcerated woman is a story of violence, which may include sexual, psychological, or physical violence. This situation of violence has, in some cases, led these women to commit extreme acts, such as killing their own aggressors.
At the Women's Social Reintegration Center of Tepepan, more than 170 women are incarcerated. The lack of visits experienced by many of them contrasts with the situation of men in prison, who tend to receive visits more frequently. The commemoration of March 8th at this penitentiary highlighted the importance of working towards equality and a life free of gender-based violence for girls, adolescents, adult women, and older adults.
