Norma - A Quest for Justice is the true story of Norma Andrade, a Mexican mother who became a "madre buscadora" (fighting mother) after her daughter Alejandra was murdered in Ciudad Juarez in 2001, a city where thousands of women and girls have been assassinated since 1993. After 23 years of relentless struggle, Norma is now awaiting the sentence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. If successful, it will be the second feminicide case addressed by the International court since 2009.
“Norma” stands as a voice against the failure of the world to criminalise acts of violence against girls and women, and is a beacon of hope for all mothers seeking justice. Nearly 89,000 women and girls were intentionally killed in 2022, the highest annual number recorded in the last 20 years, as reported by UNODC and UN Women in 2023.
Welcome remarks:
- Corinne Momal-Vanian, Executive Director, Kofi Annan Foundation
- Koen Van Acoleyen, Minister Counselor, Permanent Representation of Belgium to the United Nations in Geneva
- Brigitte Leoni, Film Director, Parva Productions
This documentary film (2024, in Spanish with English subtitles) will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Corinne Momal-Vanian with:
- Norma Andrade, Film Protagonist, and Co-Founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C., a Mexican non-profit association of mothers whose daughters have been victims of feminicide in Ciudad Juárez
- Adriana Quinones, Head of Human Rights and Development and Deputy Head, UN Women Geneva Office
- Alessia Nicastro, Phd Candidate in International Law, Gender Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute
Karla Micheel Salas Ramirez, Norma’s lawyer, and the director of the film will also be available for questions.
The screening is organised in partnership with the Kofi Annan Foundation, UN Women, Festival FILMAR en América Latina, The Edelstam Foundation and thanks to the support of Spotlight Initiative, the Permanent Mission of Belgium to the United Nations in Geneva, and the Service Agenda 21-Ville durable of the City of Geneva as part of the Campagne 25 novembre-Genève.
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