Josselyne Bejar

“As a woman judge in a position of power in my community, the least I can do is work to defend the rights of underprivileged women. I understand the limitations of legislation and know that in all cases of gender-based violence, victims need support from the community. I want to work with our society to create peace and eliminate violence against women.”

Josselyne Bejar has been a penal judge in Mexico for 20 years. She believes judges have a role in eliminating violence against women and collaborates with the police, prosecutors, government and civil society to ensure that victims of gender-based violence have access to the justice system.

Education is one of the keys to ending violence against women, says Josselyne. She advocates for open discussion about all forms of gender-based violence, including psychological, economic and physical abuse. Josselyne trains judges, magistrates and lawyers on judicial reform and wants to strengthen the system’s ability to help survivors find justice.