As we approach the end of International Women’s Day/Month, we share with you images from the protests that took place in Chihuahua, Mexico marking the day when women all over the world took to the streets to protest their oppressive, dangerous, unjust, and violent conditions in what could be all countries in the world.

A recent trip to Chihuahua City in Mexico regaled graffiti hunters with many amazing talents in the letter hand-styling department and several very talented local and national muralists scattered around the northern city of about one million inhabitants. It also paraded a long list of accused or convicted rapists, abusers, and those reported to be involved in sex crimes.

Remaining from a protest commemorating International Women’s Day here two years ago, these hand-sprayed names and accusations still mark the walls of abandoned buildings and even historical monuments. The graffiti appears to be aimed at raising awareness about the high levels of gender-based violence in Mexico and calling attention to the impunity that often allows perpetrators to go unpunished. The women who participated in the protest stated that they wanted to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions and demand justice for their victims.

The fact that so many of these were sprayed is shocking to many locals, and the fact that they remain years afterward without being buffed is perhaps more impressive. These street scribes were visually yelling, demanding justice, and warning sex offenders that they would be held accountable for their actions. We took a number of shots while searching for more artful graffiti and street art, but we have to say that the emotional intensity of these writings and simple stencils here in public space was far more impactful in many ways than anything else by those creating for aesthetic purposes.

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