No one should have to suffer because of the faith they choose to practise. Yet for religious minorities in indigenous communities across Mexico, the right to believe is far from guaranteed. For women like Gudelia and Patricia Lucas Pérez, they know first hand the devastating consequences for daring to believe something different. These two sisters have witnessed the heartbreak of their father being forcibly displaced because of the faith they choose to practise. They also witnessed their neighbour attempting to sexually assault their mother.

We met Gudelia and Patricia as part of a groundbreaking research project funded by the Sir Halley Stewart Trust. They are two of the 25 indigenous women and two mestizas women who bravely shared their experiences with us. It was the first time that many of the women had been asked to tell their stories.

When we first met one of the women, Angelina, in 2019, she told us: ‘...Nobody has visited me...I feel rejected…like I am worth nothing.’ Angelina’s family had their access to community services blocked when she refused to conform to the majority belief.

Our report ‘Let her be heard’ documents the stories of religious minority women in indigenous communities across Mexico, giving them a platform to speak, and, at last, to be heard. It is the first project of its kind, unpacking the grinding daily reality of the discrimination and injustice being faced by religious minority women from indigenous communities.

From Oaxaca to Guerrero, gatherings were carried out in five states and our team travelled 20,000 miles to some of the most remote places in Mexico – sometimes even travelling on a donkey to reach a mountaintop community, to ensure these stories were heard.

The women from one community in a very remote part of Jalisco state told our team that they had been praying for an organisation to visit them and hear their stories. What a privilege to have been the answer to their prayers!

These women have gone through so much trauma, which can be hard to talk about, so a part of the interview process was to use art or embroidery to encourage conversation. Mexico’s history is steeped in the art of textiles and embroidery, and the women were encouraged to draw and embroider their hopes for the future on simple canvas bags.

The very act of joining together, side by side, physically and metaphorically, allowed these women to connect with others who had had similar experiences. The women spoke of, embroidered and drew their dreams of a future where they are free from harassment and discrimination, where their churches are filled with freedom and where peace reigns in their communities.

We know that Mexico has a long way to go to uphold true freedom of religion or belief. But we also believe in the power of these women’s voices, the power of their stories, and the power of speaking truth to power in making freedom a reality.

Let her be heard

Use your voice to tell their stories and campaign for change at csw.org.uk/campaigns

Read the report at csw.org.uk/LetHerBeHeard