"Una y miles (One and thousands)”: an animated short film to warn about extreme violence against migrant women in Mexico

MSF teams are reporting an increase in cases of extreme violence against women along the migration route. One of the most normalized is sexual violence. Between January and August 2024, the organization conducted 744 diagnosis and treatment consultations in cases of sexual violence in Mexico. 93% of patients are women of all ages.

We ask governments to implement measures to mitigate this problem and to provide earlier and timely access to health services. It is urgent that governments address this crisis in a dignified and humane way, under a model that respects their rights and protects their lives.

"They told me: what do you think, that because you are pregnant you are saved, well not for me, girl, and you see that I am 37 weeks pregnant," a woman told the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) team at the Comprehensive Care Center (CAI), an MSF space focused on treating victims of extreme violence and torture in Mexico City.

While she tries to recover from the extreme violence of which she is a survivor, she is one of thousands of women who are violated on their way to the United States. Regardless of origin, age, position or condition, the migratory route has become a witness to normalized, overflowing and disproportionate violence against women fleeing unbearable living conditions.

In an attempt to show the resilience and strength of these women cared for in the CAI, as well as the violence they face on the migratory route, MSF, in collaboration with 13 Mexican artists, presents the animated documentary short film "Una y miles". Following the stories of two women, patients of the CAI, who could be anyone, individual incidents of violence are recounted, such as kidnapping and extortion, a daily reality for thousands of women who leave their place of origin in search of a better life.

Through this documentary, MSF seeks to highlight how Latin American women, who increasingly migrate independently or as caregivers, are not only at risk because they are undocumented, but also because of their gender. "We want to make a call to action and empathy for the women who are currently on the route, far from their families or any support, as well as to warn, once again, about the worsening conditions they face when migrating," says Ramón Márquez, CAI project coordinator.

More women under the shadow of violence

Since 2022, there has been a greater influx of families with women, children, and adolescents on the migratory route to the United States. At the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) service points, more young women, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, travelling alone or with minors are registered. As the demographic profile of people on the move has transformed, violence against more and more women has also worsened.

Médecins Sans Frontières teams are seeing a rising number of cases of extreme violence. One of the most normalized is sexual violence. Between January and August 2024 alone, 744 consultations related to sexual violence were made in Mexico. 93% are women of all ages, which has led MSF to adapt its services.

The CAI, for example, was established in response to the lack of access to comprehensive health services. In this center, MSF provides an interdisciplinary intervention that integrates medicine, psychology, psychiatry, social work and occupational therapy.

Stepping up efforts against sexual violence: a new MSF strategy

Responding to this health crisis along the migratory route, derived from violence and sexual violence, has become one of the fundamental pillars of MSF's care in the country. The challenges in providing these services are also exacerbated by the factors that women and minors face in exercising their right to health. Among others, people do not want to approach security or medical authorities so as not to put their continuation on the route at risk, or they are in fear of being sexually assaulted at checkpoints during the journey through the country.

"A major challenge in serving the population is the criminalization of migration, which contributes to the scarcity of health services," adds Márquez. "As a result, many survivors are unable to receive medical or psychological care within 72 hours of sexual violence."

Migrants also report that they are often forced to strip naked and are violently searched, including and particularly their genitals, without consent. Reportedly, these degrading violations are often perpetrated by members of organized crime groups and the police.

Even if someone does not personally experience sexual violence on the route, they are constantly exposed to violence against those around them. Some people, including families and children, are forced to witness sexual violence against their loved ones: "I’m lucky because they don't check me, but I heard my sisters' screams when they were doing it," commented an MSF patient in Piedras Negras, border city in northeastern Mexico.

Faced with these and other challenges, MSF teams have adapted to find forms of care that respect the patient's dignity and respond to their specific needs: specialized consultations, strengthening mental health services and referral pathways to local health centers in particular cases. In addition, education and awareness-raising activities are carried out on sexual violence, their medical and legal rights, and the services available.

"Violence in any of its forms leaves traces in the body's long-term memory. Therefore, addressing the impact on mental health is as central as providing medical care," explains Ramón Márquez, coordinator of the CAI. "The project team attends to cases of survivors of extreme violence and torture and works together with patients to raise awareness of the importance of comprehensive care and offer them therapeutic support, together with their family, so that both they and their children can regain their functionality, confidence and autonomy. However, this is a constant challenge because many of these people are in a state of high vulnerability and loss of functionality."

The seriousness of the needs and the increase in the cruelty with which these acts occur, have forced us to expand our health care, mental health, social work, and health promotion services. "The short documentary 'Una y miles' is a tribute to the resilience, power and strength of migrant women,” said Márquez. “It’s also a wake-up call not to let them walk alone; we can all contribute to fight against all types of violence."

Una y miles