UN urges Mexico to fight femicide

The UN is urging Mexico to criminalize femicide in every state's criminal code . They also urged Mexico t o adopt “urgent measures” to prevent, investigate and properly judge the v iolent deaths, murders, and women disappearances.

Today, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW ), published their conclusions about Mexico's situation regarding femicide , after the country was scrutinized by experts for the 9th time on July 6.

The CEDAW vice president, Magalys Arocha , emphasized that the dialogue with the Mexican delegation has been “ very active and constructive ” in the midst of “very complicated conditions” in the country, in regards to women's situation, which is “pretty bad”.

The CEDAW recognizes Mexico's efforts to “get past the general violence climate and promote women's rights”.

Women protest against impunity dressed up as “Catrinas”

Nevertheless, they lament the “ persistent insecurity levels, violence, and organized crime , as well as the challenges associated with the public security strategies, which negatively affect women and girl's right”, among them, indigenous and Afro-Mexican women.

The CEDAW is asking Mexico to “ adopt urgent measures to prevent the violent death, murder and the forced disappearance of wome n, which includes facing the root of problems like violence, armed violence, organized crime, drug dealing, discriminatory stereotypes, and marginalization”.

The experts also ask the Mexican government to “investigate, process and punish the perpetrators” of violent acts against women.

According to the National Civic Femicide Observatory (OCNF ), 1,413 women have been murdered in the State of Mexico from 2014 to 2017 , but only 236 were labeled as femicides.

Arocha

also emphasized the importance of criminalizing feminicide in Mexico , in every criminal code , in every state, according to the Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence Law, and that the investigation protocols for femicide are standardized all over the country.

It's important that Mexico simplifies and harmonizes the processes to activate the “Alerta Amber” and the " Protocolo Alba ”, as these protocols help locate and recover missing children and teenagers or those who are in grave danger.

For the CEDAW it's essential that “the search of missing girls and women is accelerated , and that they adopt special measures and protocols to decrease the risks associated to disappearances , such as feminicide, women, and girls trafficking to sexually exploit them and to force them to work.

At the same time, they have asked the Mexican government to amplify the application and coordination of the Gender Violence Alert against women in the federal, state, and municipal levels, and that it secures th e participation of non-profits, academics, and human rights activists.

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