Women’s rights on the agenda

In Mexico, there’s often a gap between women’s rights on paper and in reality: Violence against women is rampant, many girls fall pregnant, unpaid care work is mostly on women’s shoulders. Five feminist activists take stock: what has improved, what still needs to be done?

09/07/2024

Decorative illustration, embroidered — Illustration: Victoria Villasana

Portrait of the politician Angélica de la Peña Gómez — Photo: private

Although parity has been enshrined in law since 2014, it was only applied to all elective offices, i.e. the presidency, governorships, municipal councils and members of Congress, in 2024. This is another reason why Mexico will have its first female president from October 2024. Out of 32 federal states, 13 are governed by women, and the congresses at state and federal level are made up of equal numbers of men and women.

The fact that women hold equal numbers of public offices is a success, but does not necessarily underscore real committment to women. We need policies that take female perspectives into account and the exercise of political office must become more transparent overall.

Angélica de la Peña Gómez, born in 1954, is a member of the parliamentary committee of Mexican women, senator and founded the NGO ‘Women in the Struggle for Democracy’

Portrait of the activist Araceli González Saavedra — Photo: private

According to the Mexican Ministry of Health in 2023, unsafe abortions are one of the five most common causes of maternal mortality in Mexico. It was not until 2007 that Mexico City became the first state to decriminalise abortions up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. A further eleven states followed suit: Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Coahuila, Veracruz, Baja California, Colima, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo and Aguascalientes. Jalisco and Chihuahua will be added in 2024, based on court judgements from their respective states.

So far, these are only changes in the states; abortion remains a criminal offence in national criminal law. Despite this progress, there is still room for improvement in practice. If access to this medical service is to be made easier, more must also be done to provide information and education. This is particularly important for young girls who have become pregnant through forced sex. Mothers aged 17 or younger account for 5.7 percent of all births. We need a national programme to prevent or terminate child pregnancies.

Araceli González Saavedra, born in 1973, is a member of the NGO Equifonía for the Recognition, Exercise and Exercise of Women's Rights

Portrait of the lawyer Ana Yeli Pérez Garrido — Photo: private

We must recognise that there has been progress in Mexico in terms of women's rights, for example with the law on the right of women to live without violence (2007), the introduction of ‘femicide’ and finally its introduction as a criminal offence (2012). Unfortunately, however, all of this has not reduced violence. The state has done nothing to combat the deep-rooted culture of machismo that enables crimes against women.

According to the National Security Agency, 3,408 women were murdered in 2023. That’s nine murders a day, but only 827 cases were categorised as femicides. The public prosecutor’s offices do not have enough qualified staff. Police officers are not really trained to work in particularly problematic areas, such as those where organised crime is rampant. The judiciary is staffed by inadequately prepared judges who often do not even fulfil certain human rights standards. We need a comprehensive security policy that puts the issue of violence against women at the top of the agenda.

Ana Yeli Pérez Garrido, born in 1983, is a feminist lawyer and legal counsellor

Portrait of the activist Lucía Lagunes Huerta — Photo: private

Mexico is one of the most unsafe countries for journalists. However, the situation is particularly dire for female journalists and human rights defenders. In 2023 alone, CIMAC recorded 184 cases of violence against female journalists. These were mainly against female reporters who were investigating human rights violations.

In view of the increasing violence against journalists, a protection mechanism was created in 2012, following efforts by civil society. It involves coordinating cooperation between the federal and state governments in order to prevent or ward off attacks on these professional groups. Preventive measures are also planned. So far, however, this institution has neither managed to prevent cases nor investigate them comprehensively. More trained staff and better information about the available options are needed to ensure that the insititution turns plans into reality.

Lucía Lagunes Huerta, born in 1965, is head of the agency ‘Comunicación e Información de la Mujer’ (CIMAC), which promotes information by and for women

Portrait of the author and economist Carmen Ponce Meléndez — Photo: private

One of the biggest obstacles to increasing the involvement of women in the economy is their immense burden they carry for domestic and caring work. Some 38.5 million women in Mexico aged 15 and over are mothers. In 2023, they spent an average of forty hours a week on unpaid domestic work, compared to just 16 hours for men, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography.

The decisive factor for women’s opportunities in the labour market is access to childcare. Sixty percent of female workers nationwide have no social security. They are therefore unable to use public childcare facilities.

The burden of caring for the elderly and disabled also falls on the shoulders of women. One answer to this situation could be the nationalisation of care and support. This would mean that it would no longer be the exclusive responsibility of women, but a structure would be created in which the tasks are shared fairly and equally.

Carmen Ponce Meléndez, born in 1952, is a feminist economist

Translated by Jess Smee