Unveiling of Memorial for Victims of Femicide
On June 30, the University of Azuay, in conjunction with the Mayor's Office of Cuenca, the Prefecture of Azuay, EMUCE EP, and the FAVIFE Network, held the unveiling of the Memorial for the Victims of Femicide; an event aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The event was attended by officials from our university community, city officials, members of various institutions, families of the victims, and the general public.
The event began with remarks from Luis Andrés Peñafiel, manager of EMUCE EP, who emphasized that the inaugurated space is transformed into a voice, memory, and struggle. He pointed out that this was not just an unveiling, but rather an opening of the soul of a city and honoring the lives of women who were victims of violence that should never have existed.
In turn, Sonia Salamea, representative of the Network of Families of Victims of Femicide (FAVIFE), expressed her gratitude for the opportunity and for highlighting such an important cause. She emphasized the need for justice to always prevail and for sowing memory to honor the thousands of women victims of femicide.
For his part, Miguel Illescas, the creator of the sculpture, stated that his daily motivation is to promote coexistence based on sensitivity. He explained that, in creating the sculpture, he sought to reflect the values he considers essential to society: sensitivity, awareness, and empathy.
In turn, Genoveva Malo, Academic Vice-Rector of the University of Azuay, noted that, as a university, they firmly believe in a mission that transcends the training of competent professionals. Above all, she mentioned, this is a space to develop sensitive, committed human beings capable of caring for life; for this reason, they have chosen to give a voice to those we miss. The memorial represents an ongoing commitment by an entire society that chooses to never again ignore violence.
Juan Cristóbal Lloret, prefect of Azuay province, emphasized the importance of the event for everyone, noting that several organizations have joined forces to carry out this project. He emphasized that this space should encourage reflection in order to build a more just and equitable society together.
Finally, Cristian Zamora, Mayor of Cuenca, noted that this space was created to maintain the memorial as a living flame of memory and hope. He expressed his solidarity with the families present and expressed his hope that places like this will allow them to feel the love of their loved ones and keep their memory alive forever.
Once the speeches were concluded, the memorial was unveiled by the authorities of the aforementioned institutions, along with the families of the victims who were present at the ceremony.
The meeting concluded with a performance by the University of Azuay Dance Group.
