Atziri Ávila
Atziri Elizabeth Ávila López is a woman human rights defender from Oaxaca, Mexico working with Observatorio Ciudadano Nacional del Feminicidio (OCNF) (The National Citizen’s Observatory on Femicide), a citizen’s network made up of 43 organisations. The work of OCNF is aimed at contributing to the guaranteed rights of women to a life free of violence. This work is done through visibility and communications efforts on cases of femicide, dissappearance and attempted femicide. OCNF develops strategies to help provide access to justice in emblematic cases related to feminicidal violence. The organisation contributes to the creation, strengthening and implementation of public policies to ensure women’s access to a life free of violence.
As well as her work with OCNF, Atziri is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in Mexico. In this role, Atziri works directly with HRDs and journalists at risk to develop and strengthen protection plans.
Human rights defenders (HRDs) and journalists in Mexico are subject to intimidation, legal harassment, arbitrary detention, death threats, acts of physical aggression, enforced disappearances and killings as a result of their activities in defence of human rights and the exercise of freedom of expression and journalism.
