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The Killing Machine of Juarez - A Literature Review on the Maquiladora Industry and Femicide in the City

Portland State University, PDXScholar

University Honors Theses, University Honors College

Spring 6-2022

Karla Kinzie Munoz

Portland State University

Video: Experience Portland State University

Recommended Citation Kinzie Munoz, Karla, “The Killing Machine of Juarez: A Literature Review on the Maquiladora Industry and Femicide in the City” (2022). University Honors Theses. Paper 1260.

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1. Abstract

An undergraduate honors thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in University Honors and International Development

Thesis Adviser Dr. Kacy McKinney Portland State University 2022

Abstract

In Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, since 1993, more than 400 women have been killed, a conservative estimate due to the hundreds more that are still missing (Fernández et al., 2008). These women were often employees at tariff and duty-free factories in the area. The factories, also known as maquiladoras, contribute to the economy of the city after they were implemented in the Border Industrialization Program. Case studies and news articles reveal the connection between the maquilas and the growing number of femicides in the city. The working conditions and constant harassment of female employees contribute to the abuses the predominantly young women suffer. With the growing economy and implementation of NAFTA, these changes were exacerbated after 1994. The need for programs that protect women from these environments as well as proper investigations is urgent. Femicide is a pressing issue in Ciudad Juarez and there is a need for immediate action.

Keywords: femicide, feminicide, Ciudad Juárez, maquiladoras, North American Free Trade Agreement