SAMPLE OP-ED PIECE:
The women of Juarez have the right to live free from violence

For over a decade, there have been nearly 400 unsolved murders of young women in Ciudad Juarez, in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Many of the murders have the same modus operandi: The women are raped, brutally beaten and killed. The bodies have been found in the desert on the outskirts of Juarez and Chihuahua, and are decomposed beyond recognition. The investigations lack seriousness and urgency. The negligence and incompetence among Mexican officials range from the lowest - local police - to the highest - President Fox. The long list of negligence includes ignoring missing person reports, releasing the women's remains to the wrong families, insinuating that the women "asked for it" by suggesting that their dress indicated that they were prostitutes, manipulating crime scenes, and torturing suspects into confessing to the murders. Many of the men convicted of the murders claim that they were tortured and forced into confessing. Officials count these cases as solved, and consequently are allowing the murders to continue by allowing the true killers to remain free to roam the streets. In addition, the Mexican police have ignored, deceived, harassed and even attacked the families of the victims.

Some people may ask why the United States should get involved. The reason is that about a third of the victims worked in factories known as maquiladoras, many of which are owned by U.S. companies. Despite the tremendous wealth that the maquiladoras accrue from the low wages paid to the workers, they offer hardly any employee protection. These young women must wake up before sunrise to catch a bus into town, and usually don't leave the factory until after midnight. The way to and from the bus stop is not well-lit, and is along a part of town that is not very safe. What's even more appalling is that the factory managers will turn the workers away if they arrive even four minutes late. Their families make sure they know the work schedules of their daughters, sisters, cousins and nieces so they will know when to expect them home. However, if the young women are turned away, there is no way of notifying their family members, and they are left vulnerable in the darkness to make their way home safely. These U.S. companies can be lax with environmental regulations and pay low wages through NAFTA, but there is no excuse for being negligent with human life.

The National Organization for Women (NOW) has begun a campaign to address the femicides in Juarez. We demand that the U.S. and Mexican authorities seriously investigate, apprehend and bring to justice the perpetrators of these crimes. NOW will take action in El Paso, Texas in December 2005, and will work to ensure passage of House Resolution 90 and Senate Resolution 16, which will raise awareness of these crimes. The women of Juarez, Mexico have the right to be free from violence and discrimination. As a feminist organization, NOW urges the United States and Mexico to amplify efforts to respect and ensure those rights.