March 5, 2009

Between Blue Waters, A History of Violence by Socorro Chablé tells the tragic story of Reyna Ramírez, who started working in maquilas in Puebla, Mexico when she was just 13. Working for years in the unhealthily maquila environment eventually took a toll on her body and she developed throat, respiratory problems, headaches and muscle aches.

The clinic at the maquila where Reyna was working and Mexico’s government medical service for workers never warned her that her symptoms could be caused by her work. It was a private doctor who eventually told Reyna that her problems were work related and that she should leave the maquila before it killed her.  Her voice has never recovered and nor has her health, despite years away from the maquila.

Now Reyna heads the Collective of Defiant Women Workers, a Puebla NGO which helps women maquila workers, with a particular focus on health issues.  The group is collaborating with the Hesperian Foundation and using several of their publications on workplace health to develop training courses for maquila workers.

 

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Excerpt of "Reyna Ramírez: Between Blue Waters, A History of Violence" by Socorro Chablé	241.15 KB