Hilda Morales Trujillo
Encyclopedia
Hilda Morales Trujillo is a lawyer in Guatemala
who has become internationally known for her work in defending women's rights and as a campaigner for Guatemala's Network for Non-Violence Against Women. In 2004 she shared the Amnesty International
Ambassador of Conscience Award
with Mary Robinson
.
Trujillo was born in Ciudad Flores, Petén
, Guatemala
in 1943. She graduated in law from University of San Carlos of Guatemala in 1970. Many of her early cases involved domestic violence. After being appointed Professor of Family Law at the University of San Carlos she lectured for eight years in family law and on the need for law to provide legal protection for women and their children.
In 1991 she was appointed a delegate to the National Women’s Office (ONAM). In 1993 after the coup d’etat, she was appointed Vice Minister for Work and Social Security, helping to establish the Unit for the Promotion of Women Workers.
In 1994 Trujillo was involved in petitioning the Guatemalan state to ratify the Inter-American Convention for the Prevention, Punishment and Erradication of Violence Against Women. In 1996 she helped pass a law for the Prevention, Punishment and Erradication of Domestic Violence. In 1997 as part of the Network against Violence against Women (Red de la No Violencia contra Mujeres) Tujillo authored a report on the family courts refusal to apply the Law for the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Domestic Violence. Her findings and recommendations were approved in 2000, establishing the National Commission for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (CONAPREVI).
"The police reported that 687 women were the victims of homicide in 2008; their bodies frequently showed signs of rape and other torture. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported in January that discriminatory practices by the authorities persisted, resulting in a failure to investigate killings of women and a tendency to blame the victim. In April, Congress passed a new Law Against Femicide. The law received a mixed response from civil society organizations." The violence has been referred to by Trujillo as "femicidio".
former President of Ireland
and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
who has become internationally known for her work in defending women's rights and as a campaigner for Guatemala's Network for Non-Violence Against Women. In 2004 she shared the Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
Ambassador of Conscience Award
Ambassador of Conscience Award
The Ambassador of Conscience Award is Amnesty International's most prestigious human rights award. It is given annually to individuals who show exceptional leadership in the fight to protect and promote human rights and human conscience...
with Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
.
Background
Petén
Petén or Peten may refer to:*Petén , a department of Guatemala*Petén Basin, the geographical / archaeological region of Mesoamerica and a center of the Maya civilization*Lake Petén Itzá, a lake in the Petén Basin region...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
in 1943. She graduated in law from University of San Carlos of Guatemala in 1970. Many of her early cases involved domestic violence. After being appointed Professor of Family Law at the University of San Carlos she lectured for eight years in family law and on the need for law to provide legal protection for women and their children.
In 1991 she was appointed a delegate to the National Women’s Office (ONAM). In 1993 after the coup d’etat, she was appointed Vice Minister for Work and Social Security, helping to establish the Unit for the Promotion of Women Workers.
In 1994 Trujillo was involved in petitioning the Guatemalan state to ratify the Inter-American Convention for the Prevention, Punishment and Erradication of Violence Against Women. In 1996 she helped pass a law for the Prevention, Punishment and Erradication of Domestic Violence. In 1997 as part of the Network against Violence against Women (Red de la No Violencia contra Mujeres) Tujillo authored a report on the family courts refusal to apply the Law for the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Domestic Violence. Her findings and recommendations were approved in 2000, establishing the National Commission for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (CONAPREVI).
Campaign against rape and murder of women and children
Trujillo's primary concern is preventing more examples of the thousands of women who have been raped and then murdered, often in an horrific manner, over the last decade. In 2009, the Amnesty International report on human rights violations in Guatemala included this section on violence against women and children (the core area of Trujillo's work):"The police reported that 687 women were the victims of homicide in 2008; their bodies frequently showed signs of rape and other torture. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported in January that discriminatory practices by the authorities persisted, resulting in a failure to investigate killings of women and a tendency to blame the victim. In April, Congress passed a new Law Against Femicide. The law received a mixed response from civil society organizations." The violence has been referred to by Trujillo as "femicidio".
Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award
In 2004, Trujillo shared the Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience Award with Mary RobinsonMary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
former President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
External links
- International Federation of Human Rights - 155 Human Rights Organisations throughout the world
- Human Rights First - International human rights organization
- United Nations- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- United Nations- Human Rights
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
- The Universal Human Rights Index of United Nations documents