How María Elena Esparza Guevara Fights Emotional Femicide in Mexico

María Elena Esparza Guevara has dedicated her career to combating gender-based psychological violence in Mexico. Her work highlights the severe impact of emotional femicide, a term she uses to describe the devastating effects of psychological abuse on women’s self-esteem and mental health. Esparza Guevara founded Ola Violeta A.C. to address emotional femicide and empower women. The organisation runs workshops that teach participants to recognise and challenge psychological abuse, without requiring them to label themselves as victims. Her research also engages men, encouraging them to confront machismo and patriarchy as part of the push for substantive equality.

In her thesis, she defined emotional femicide as a state of feeling dead while alive, caused by sustained psychological violence. This abuse can lead to severe anxiety, depression, and in extreme cases, femicidal suicide. Mexico’s General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free of Violence already acknowledges psychological violence as one of five types, yet Esparza Guevara argues that legal frameworks must be strengthened. She also stresses the need for wider dissemination of tools like the 'violence meter' to help women assess their risk. Esparza Guevara’s future plans include pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship, teaching, and continuing her research. She also aims to expand her work with the Women’s Economic Autonomy Program in Mexico City. Her efforts remain focused on raising awareness and providing practical support to those affected by psychological violence.