Ecuador is facing a surge in violence against women as criminal gangs increasingly target women in their territorial wars.
According to activists and authorities, murders are being used to intimidate rivals, send brutal messages and carry out acts of revenge.
The government has responded by deploying the military and imposing curfews in an effort to curb the bloodshed.
As killings rise, women across the country are demanding justice, greater protection and stronger action to end the violence.
Is Ecuador special when it comes to women being targeted as part of gang rivalries, or are there similar patterns elsewhere in Latin America?
DW put these and other questions to Miriam Bandes Zablah, UN Women Country Representative for Ecuador.
More than 400 women were killed last year. Women's rights advocates say victims are being failed by the justice system