Fractured Promises: Violence Against Women in Mexico

Can Laws Alone Stop Violence Against Women? The Harsh Reality in Mexico

Soraya Malik in Law & Justice August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Femicide laws, unilateral divorce, and abortion decriminalization: why legislative efforts fall short in protecting women's lives."

Femicide, the gender-based killing of women, is a global crisis, with Latin America and the Caribbean experiencing some of the most alarming rates. In response, many countries have enacted femicide laws, categorizing these acts as hate crimes with stricter penalties. Mexico, a pioneer in adopting such legislation, serves as a crucial case study to evaluate the effectiveness of these legal measures.

A recent study scrutinizes the impact of femicide laws in Mexico, alongside other legislative changes like unilateral divorce and abortion decriminalization. The research leverages variations in the enactment and enforcement of these laws across different states to assess their effectiveness in reducing violence against women.

The findings reveal a sobering reality: femicide laws in Mexico have not significantly affected the incidence of femicides, homicides of women, or reports of disappearances. These results persist even when considering differences in prison sentencing and the implementation of unilateral divorce laws or abortion decriminalization. This suggests that legislative measures alone are insufficient to combat violence against women in environments where impunity prevails.

Why Femicide Laws in Mexico Aren't Enough

Fractured Promises: Violence Against Women in Mexico

The study highlights several key factors contributing to the ineffectiveness of femicide laws in Mexico:

Unreliable Official Data: Official judicial figures for femicides are often unreliable, with a significant percentage of cases misclassified as homicides. This misclassification stems from inconsistent protocols applied by local prosecutors during investigations.
Systemic Issues: Increasing murder rates, persistent underfunding, and poor training within investigative agencies exacerbate the issue of misclassification and hinder effective investigations.
High Levels of Impunity: Despite legal mandates, a significant percentage of femicides and homicides fail to result in convictions, contributing to a culture of impunity.

To address the lack of reliable judicial statistics, the study uses alternative indicators, including data from official death certificates. These certificates, issued by authorized forensic medical services, offer valuable insights into the causes and circumstances of female homicides. The research also examines official reports of disappeared girls and women, a metric especially important given the sharp increase in disappearances in Mexico.

Moving Beyond Legislation: A Call for Comprehensive Action

The study's findings underscore the need for a more comprehensive approach to addressing violence against women in Mexico. Legislative measures alone are insufficient to combat this complex issue. A more effective strategy requires tackling broader socioeconomic, cultural, judicial, and conflict-related issues, as well as addressing the injustices that allow gender-based violence to persist. By addressing the root causes of violence and strengthening the systems designed to protect women, Mexico can take meaningful steps towards creating a safer and more just society for all.

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2407.06722,

Title: Femicide Laws, Unilateral Divorce, And Abortion Decriminalization Fail To Stop Women'S Killings In Mexico

Subject: econ.em

Authors: Roxana Gutiérrez-Romero

Published: 09-07-2024

Everything You Need To Know

What are femicide laws, and why were they enacted in Mexico?

Femicide laws categorize the gender-based killing of women as hate crimes, leading to stricter penalties. Mexico, a pioneer in adopting such legislation, aimed to specifically address the alarming rates of femicide. The intention was to provide increased protection and justice for women, given the global crisis of femicide, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean. The laws were enacted to criminalize femicide with stricter penalties and to highlight its severity as a distinct form of violence against women.

Why haven't femicide laws in Mexico significantly reduced violence against women?

Despite the enactment of femicide laws, the study indicates they haven't significantly affected the incidence of femicides, homicides of women, or reports of disappearances. Key factors include unreliable official data, systemic issues like underfunding and poor training within investigative agencies, and high levels of impunity. Misclassification of femicides as homicides due to inconsistent protocols also hinders effective investigations, leading to a lack of convictions and perpetuating a culture where violence against women is not adequately addressed.

Besides femicide laws, what other legislative changes were examined, and how did they impact the findings?

The study also scrutinized the impact of unilateral divorce and abortion decriminalization alongside femicide laws. However, the findings revealed that these legislative changes, like the femicide laws, did not significantly affect the reduction of violence against women. The research considered variations in the enactment and enforcement of these laws across different states to assess their effectiveness, but the results showed that these measures alone were insufficient to combat violence in an environment where systemic issues such as impunity and misclassification were prevalent.

What are the key systemic issues that undermine the effectiveness of legal measures like femicide laws?

The study highlights several key factors: Unreliable official data, due to the misclassification of femicides as homicides, often stemming from inconsistent protocols by local prosecutors. Systemic issues include increasing murder rates, underfunding, and poor training within investigative agencies, which exacerbate misclassification and hinder effective investigations. High levels of impunity also play a significant role, with a significant percentage of femicides and homicides failing to result in convictions, contributing to a culture where violence against women persists without adequate consequences. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive reforms beyond just passing laws.

What comprehensive actions are needed to effectively address violence against women in Mexico, beyond just passing laws like the femicide laws?

A more comprehensive approach is needed, moving beyond legislative measures alone. This includes tackling broader socioeconomic, cultural, judicial, and conflict-related issues. It requires addressing the root causes of violence and strengthening the systems designed to protect women. This includes ensuring reliable official data, improving investigative protocols, increasing funding and training for investigative agencies, and combating impunity. Focusing on these areas can help create a safer and more just society, as the legislative efforts of femicide laws alone are not enough to combat the complex issue of violence against women.