Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres

Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres (CEDEHM) specializes in national and international litigation on cases involving human rights abuses against women. It is one of the leading organizations in litigating human rights cases in the accusatory system. The award supports CEDEHM in contributing to greater accountability from Chihuahua’s Prosecutor’s Office in investigating human rights violations through strategic litigation, support for and legal representation of victims, and training of government personnel in charge of investigating and prosecuting human rights abuses. The work is part of a broader strategy to increase government accountability in investigating and prosecuting crimes as a way to reduce impunity.

Centro de Derechos de las Mujeres is an organization specializing in national and international litigation on issues affecting women. It is one of the leading organizations in litigating human rights cases in the accusatory system. The award supports the Center’s work to provide evidence-based recommendations to the Chihuahua State Prosecutor’s Office in developing operational procedures for Mexico’s first state-level Special Unit for Investigating Human Rights Violations. It also supports the Center’s work in developing guidelines for analyzing the broader context in which crimes and human rights abuses are committed, looking at patterns in criminal activity as well as organized crime and state collusion.

This grant will strengthen human rights protections in the Mexican criminal justice system. Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres will litigate paradigmatic cases to build precedents involving gender-based violence, enforced disappearance, and attacks against human rights defenders, with an emphasis on the northern state of Chihuahua. The Center will also provide training to those working in the justice system and to human rights organizations on how to improve due process for such cases under the new accusatory system.

To improve access to justice for women who have been victims of gender-based violence (over three years).