| Summary: | This article examines the biographical, personal, and familial consequences faced by women searching for disappeared persons in Guanajuato, a state marked by the coexistence of economic development and criminal violence. Based on a qualitative study of 27 women—categorized as active participants in collectives, disassociated from organizations, and independent searchers—it identifies differentiated impacts across five dimensions: social bonds, physical and mental health, gendered roles, institutional relations, and economic conditions. Findings reveal that collective members acquire empowerment and technical expertise despite intense physical strain; disassociated women experience isolation and "secondary ruptures"; and independent searchers develop “strategies of silent resistance” in high-risk settings. These results contribute to a more nuanced understanding of “ambiguous loss” and “complex gendered agency,” portraying women not as passive victims but as active agents who construct strategies to confront multifaceted violence and reframe their lives.
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