The Women's Caucus was formed in February 1997, to intervene in the ongoing Preparatory Committee meetings for the establishment of an International Criminal Court at the United Nations. Women realized that without an organized caucus, women's concerns would not be actively defended in the documents and process of creation of an International Criminal Court. The legal issues in the ICC are complex and sensitive. They require people from different legal systems and cultures to arrive at a consensus on specific issues that may challenge local traditions or beliefs. The gender-related issues are particularly sensitive, as they are not as well understood. Gender-related crimes are often perceived to be private or individual crimes that do not rise to the level of international human rights law, or that are perceived to be taken care of by a "neutral" statute. However, the experience of women has been that neutrality usually results in leaving out crimes against women and the ways that women, because of their socially constructed roles in society, are disproportionately affected. It was these concerns that the Women""s Caucus sought to address in the process of creation of an International Criminal Court. By advocating the codification of crimes of sexual, reproductive and gender violence, and inclusion of gender sensitive processes and criteria for personnel, the Caucus tried to ensure that the Court has capacity to implement justice for women. | Footage of an unidentified man describing the Acteal massacre of December 22, 1997 while pointing out the sites where people fled and hid. He speaks in Spanish, while Monica Angeles translates into English, off camera. He talks about how people tried to flee, but were caught and killed. He points to a mound where his wife and daughter died. He says he was trapped under a pile of corpses. He says that people then started running into the mountains. They only stopped shooting when they ran out of bullets. He explains that people are buried in the houses. Blurry shots of the sites that the man pointed out. Next, another unidentified man shows a memorial wall with photographs of the dead and a cross. There are flowers and candles on the floor. The man points to photos of Juana Vázquez Luna and Susana Jiménez Pérez, who were killed in the Acteal massacre. The man explains to Monica Angeles that the bodies are buried under the floor. Various CU of an epitaph plaque which is hung on the wall with the photographs, with CU on the names of the victims. Various pan and tilt shots of the wall. Footage then cuts to blurry, shaky shots of the interior of a wooden structure, possibly a church, with altars and statues. Footage cuts to various exterior LS from the top of a hill of the rural community, then various shots of the sculpture, Columna de la Infamia (Pillar of Shame) by artist Jens Galschiot, to honor and remember victims of the massacre. CU of the explanatory panels in Spanish and English at the base of the sculpture.
Contributor | Contribuidor:
WITNESS (Creator) and Women's Caucus for Gender Justice (Creator)
unedited footage, metraje sin editar, moving image, interviews, entrevistas, b-roll, and b-roll
Extent | Alcance:
28 minutes
Rights - Use & Reproduction | Derechos - uso & reproducción:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Language | Idioma:
Spanish and English
Place of publication | Lugar de publicación:
Brooklyn (N.Y.)
Topic | Tema:
Armed conflict and persecution--Mass killings, Conflicto armado y persecución--Asesinatos en masa, Advocacy, activism, and responses to persecution--Memorials and commemoration events, Defensa, activismo y respuestas a la persecución--Monumentos y eventos conmemorativos, Armed conflict and persecution--Paramilitaries, Conflicto armado y persecución--Paramilitares, Armed conflict and persecution--Sexual violence, Conflicto armado y persecución--Violencia sexual, Civil and political rights--Women's rights, Mujeres--Derechos--Derechos políticos y civiles, Economic, social, and cultural rights--Social and cultural rights--Art, and Derechos económicos sociales y culturales--Derechos sociales y culturales--Arte
Place Name | Nombre del lugar:
North and Central America--Mexico--Chiapas--Acteal and América del Norte y Central--México--Chiapas--Acteal
General Note | Notas generales:
A/D flag: physDigital; Generation: original; Signal format: NTSC; Carrier number 1 of 1
UTL DAMS PID:
hrdi:b832eafc-dfc0-48d1-8576-753b0fd5d839
Local Identifier| Identificador local :
B01544-0_00_00_09 and witness_ihwe_3205
Related Resource – Host | Recursos relacionados:
Women's Caucus for Gender Justice's Footage for "If Hope Were Enough" Documentary (title) and https://txarchives.org/hrdi/finding_aids/00005.xml (uri)