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Dissertation
Femicides in Latin American cities: theory, trends, and public health implications
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Sep 2023
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00001871
Abstract
Latin America grapples with high levels of violence and gender-based disparities that impact women's lives significantly. This integrated study synthesizes findings from three separate investigations on femicide and its consequences in the region. The first study delves into the dynamics of femicide rates across age groups in Latin America, utilizing data from 343 cities in 9 countries between 2000 and 2019. The results uncover substantial heterogeneity within and between countries, with females aged 15-29 facing the highest risk. While overall femicide rates may be declining minimally, disparities emerge, indicating increasing rates in certain areas, such as Mexico and in younger women. The study underscores the urgency of comprehending gender dynamics in homicide research, advocating for city-level interventions to address the multifaceted causes of violence against women. The second study explores the relationship between gender inequality and femicide rates in 294 cities across 7 countries from 2014 to 2018. It establishes a significant association between gender inequality and femicide rates, with cities in the highest gender inequality quintile experiencing 29% higher femicide rates. This correlation remains robust even after accounting for population growth, income inequality, and area level poverty proxied by an index of water and sanitation access. The findings highlight the potential of enhancing women's employment, education, healthcare, and political representation to mitigate femicide. The third study investigates the impact of femicides on female life expectancy (LE) at birth in 48 major cities across 9 Latin American countries. Using cause-deleted life tables, it identifies cities with unexpected changes in LE after eliminating femicides. San Salvador and Guatemala City exhibit the most significant shifts. Furthermore, the research unveils a complex relationship between overall violence and LE changes, emphasizing the need for tailored policies addressing gender-based vulnerabilities. Collectively, these studies use a structural lens to a public health problem that too often focuses on individual determinants. Targeted interventions at the city level, alongside efforts to reduce gender inequality, offer promising avenues to tackle these pressing issues and improve the lives of women and girls in the region.
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Details
- Title
- Femicides in Latin American cities
- Creators
- Bricia Gonzalez Trejo
- Contributors
- Yvonne L. Michael (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- x, 103 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Dana and David Dornsife School of Public Health; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021229814404721