Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend Mexico’s Equality Achievements in Political and Public Life, Raise Questions on the Judiciary’s Response to Gender Crimes and Gender-Based Violence in Schools
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the tenth periodic report of Mexico, with Committee Experts commending Mexico’s achievements in guaranteeing equality in political and public life, while raising questions on how the judiciary responded to gender crimes and how the State was tackling gender-based violence in schools.
A Committee Expert said the Committee commended the State party’s achievements in guaranteeing equality in political and public life. Reforms had been implemented towards preventing and eliminating gender discrimination. This had resulted in a 43 per cent improvement in women’s public leadership positions. The Committee lauded the 2019 constitutional reform, entitled “gender parity in everything”, which guaranteed political rights of women towards certifying gender parity for all candidates for elected political office, including municipalities with indigenous and Afro-Mexican populations.
An Expert asked what mechanisms the State had put in place to guarantee an effective, gender-sensitive judicial response? Were there reparations available for victims of gender crimes? What measures were being planned to ensure elected judges had knowledge to judge with a gender perspective? Could statistics be provided on the fast-track and pretrial procedure, to illustrate how female victims had benefitted from these changes? Had the performances of judges who had been trained been assessed?
A Committee Expert said the Committee noted with concern the high school dropout rates due to pregnancy and violence. The ongoing persistence and increase of violence against women and adolescents, at all educational levels, was also concerning, particularly high levels of sexual violence. What measures had the State taken to guarantee education for pregnant teenagers and to prevent them from leaving school? How was it ensured that comprehensive sexual education was provided at all levels and in all states? Was there a plan to ensure the eradication of gender-based violence in schools? What measures was the State taking to guarantee standardisation and the enforcement of penalties?
The delegation said Mexico had special prosecution services in different bodies. These ensured that the highest standards were used when investigating cases of femicide. In cases of femicide, it was important to comply with standards relating to the crime. Protocols had been standardised for the crimes of femicide. The Tribunal of Judicial Discipline had been created to combat impunity. The Women’s Secretariat was working with the Department of Prosecutions to create a network of female lawyers to provide advice and organise strategic lawsuits.
The delegation said in 2024, Mexico significantly invested in the training of teachers, as part of the national strategy to deal with and prevent teenage pregnancy. This also focused on keeping teenagers who were pregnant in school. A programme called violence free schools supported people working in schools. A protocol had been ratified to ensure the referral, channelling, follow-up and prevention of sexual violence in schools. School dropout rates had fallen by 75 per cent for basic education, 26 per cent for secondary education, and 18 per cent in further education. A national strategy was in place to prevent early pregnancy and there had been a 10 per cent drop in early pregnancy in Mexico over the past three years.
Introducing the report, Citlalli Hernández Mora, Secretary, Women's Secretariat of Mexico and head of the delegation, said for decades, there had been a system of structural inequality which had intensified violence against women in Mexico. Legislative reforms by the President, which came into force in November 2024, established reinforced duties of the State to combat all types of violence against women, as well as the eradication of the gender wage gap. The reforms also created the Women’s Secretariat, tasked with preventing violence against women, promoting a society of care, and reducing structural gaps. From 2019 to 2024, the gender pay gap was reduced by 29 per cent at the local level.
In closing remarks, Ms. Hernández Mora commended the Committee for its work and the experts for their questions and comments. The Committee’s recommendations were very important for the Government, and the dialogue had been an enriching experience. Mexico was committed to changing the lives of all women in the country.
In her closing remarks, Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, thanked Mexico for the constructive dialogue which had provided further insight into the situation of women and girls in the country.
The delegation of Mexico was comprised of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Public Education; the Ministry of Health; the Secretariat of Women; the Mexican Social Security Institute; the Legislative Branch; the Judiciary; the National Institute of Statistics and Geography; the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation; the National Electoral Institute; the National Council of Indigenous Peoples; and the Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s ninety-first session is being held from 16 June to 4 July. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.
The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 19 June, to begin its consideration of the eighth periodic report of Thailand (CEDAW/C/THA/8).
Report
The Committee has before it the tenth periodic report of Mexico (CEDAW/C/MEX/10).
Presentation of Report
FRANCISCA E. MÉNDEZ ESCOBAR, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said Mexico had hosted the First World Conference on Women in 1975 and was an active promoter of the Convention. Mexico was also involved in the creation of numerous mechanisms and groups, including United Nations Women. The State was committed to respecting, protecting, and promoting the human rights of women and girls in all their diversity.
CITLALLI HERNÁNDEZ MORA, Secretary, Women's Secretariat of Mexico and head of the delegation, said under the leadership of the first woman President of Mexico and as the State’s first Secretary for Women, she was pleased to lead the delegation.
For decades, there had been a system of structural inequality which had intensified violence against women in Mexico. Legislative reforms by the President, which came into force in November 2024, established reinforced duties of the State to combat all types of violence against women, as well as the eradication of the gender wage gap. The reforms also created the Women’s Secretariat, tasked with preventing violence against women, promoting a society of care, and reducing structural gaps.
In 2024, Mexico had 132.27 million inhabitants, of which 51.08 per cent were women; 9 per cent were indigenous women; 2 per cent were women with disabilities; and 1 per cent were Afro-Mexican women, requiring the State to build inclusive and intercultural policies. The poorest person in Mexico was an indigenous girl with disabilities, which was why 45 billion dollars had been invested, allowing 3.5 million women to escape moderate poverty over the past six years.
From 2019 to 2024, the gender pay gap was reduced by 29 per cent at the local level. The implementation of the New Mexican School System with a gender perspective had promoted actions to guarantee inclusive, egalitarian and quality education for children and young people in Mexico. The first 12 of the 200 Education and Child Centres were being built, prioritising highly vulnerable areas such as the maquiladoras on the northern border. The Pension Fund was launched this year for women between 60 and 64 years of age and had reached over 900,000 women.
The Women’s Secretariat had installed 678 LIBRE centres throughout the national territory, with an investment of almost 40 million dollars per year, which sought to offer comprehensive care, legal and psycho-emotional support to those who experience violence. In March of this year, the Tejedoras de la Patria initiative was launched, which encompassed a national network of women protagonists to guide, lead and support their communities.
INGRID GÓMEZ, Undersecretary for the Right to a Life Free of Violence, Women’s Secretariat of Mexico, said femicide violence was one of the greatest challenges faced by the Mexican State. The implementation of targeted territorial strategies, the strengthening of protection mechanisms for women at risk, and the improvement of victim care systems had resulted in a sustained downward trend in the incidence of femicides. During the first two months of 2025, there had been a decrease of 29.23 per cent reported cases compared to the same period in 2024. This was the result of a coordinated institutional response, which included early warning of risk, strengthening and expanding the Women's Justice Centres, specialised shelters, mobile units, and other protection measures.
Following the recommendation of the Committee, Mexico had made progress in the legislative harmonisation of the criminal category of femicide, which had been achieved in 28 of the 32 states. The National Programme against Trafficking in Persons had been the backbone, promoting prevention, protection, prosecution and comprehensive care for victims. The Office of the Special Prosecutor for the Investigation of Crimes in the Matter of Trafficking in Persons was created, which was a significant step.
JENNIFER FELLER, Director General of Human Rights and Democracy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, said the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists was a key tool to guarantee the safety and integrity of women human rights defenders and journalists. As of April 2025, it had a total of 2,341 people, including female journalists, human rights defenders and their family members.
The Mexican State was sensitive to cases of disappearance of persons, including women. In 2019, the National Search Commission was created and, for the first time, a National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons was developed. With the Attorney General's Office and the State Prosecutors' Offices, visits had been made to expert service institutions, temporary protection centres, cemeteries and shelters, to carry out human identification processes and interventions to recover remains deposited in mass graves. The Mexican State continued with the search actions to locate all these people and had undertaken dialogue with almost 200 collectives of relatives of disappeared persons, with multiple Government institutions.
TERESA RAMOS ARREOLA, Head of the National Centre for Gender Equity, Sexual and Reproductive Health of Mexico, said 100 commitments had been made for the President’s six-year term, including the Care Programme from the first 1,000 days of life, which guaranteed access to women's health services, especially reproductive health, bodily autonomy, and the prevention of gender violence. In Mexico, contraception was free and 24 of the country's 32 states had decriminalised abortion. A technical note had been issued which outlined the obligation of the health sector to have available personnel and the necessary technical capacities to provide safe abortion services.
YANETH DEL ROSARIO CRUZ GÓMEZ, Representative of Mexico’s National Council of Indigenous Peoples, said the reform of the second article of the Constitution, published in September 2024, should be celebrated. It constituted a historic advance in the recognition of indigenous peoples as rights holders, with legal recognition and their own assets. However, the implementation of these rights was a challenge. It was urgent for indigenous rights to be effectively implemented.
Indigenous and Afro-Mexican women were developing the general law on the rights of indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples. The resources allocated to indigenous peoples and communities, through the Contribution Fund for Social Infrastructure for Indigenous and Afro-Mexican Peoples, were welcomed.
MARTHA LUCÍA MICHER CAMARENA, Federal Senator and President of the Commission for Gender Equality of the Senate of the Republic, said in Mexico, they had a parity legislative power; there were 14 female governors in 32 states. In December 2024, amendments were approved to various secondary laws, including the general law for equality between women and men; the general law on women's access to a life free of violence; the National Code of Criminal Procedure; and the general law of the national public security system, among others. Between 2021 and 2024, key legislative reforms were also adopted, including amendments to the Federal Penal Code and 22 local penal codes that now criminalised acid attacks, as well as other types of violence, within the criminal category of family violence.
MÓNICA SOTO, Presiding Magistrate of the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation, said the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation had issued rulings to seek balanced representation in the Government. In 2024, the first parity federal Congress was constituted, after 108 years as an independent Republic. Despite this, there were significant challenges, with only 28 per cent of municipal presidencies headed by women. In many cases, violations of their rights persisted.
Gender-based political violence against women continued to be a reality. However, in a historical precedent in 2021, the Superior Chamber of the Court annulled the election results in Iliatenco, Guerrero for gender-based political violence against an indigenous woman. Authorities had been trained, and guides and protocols had been issued for judgment with a gender perspective in electoral matters and, in May 2024, the Specialised Ombudsman's Office for the Care of Women was created.
MARYCARMEN COLOR VARGAS, Director of Gender Equality of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, said the Supreme Court of Justice had issued a protocol for judging with a gender perspective, which was updated in 2020. To ensure its implementation, the Court and the Council of the Federal Judiciary had deployed a training strategy with case law notebooks, manuals, thematic notes, specialised works, and self-management courses. To date, 59 per cent of federal civil servants had completed mandatory training in gender and human rights. The Comprehensive Inclusion Policy had been adopted, which increased the participation of women at the highest judicial levels from 20 per cent to 31 per cent.
CITLALLI HERNÁNDEZ MORA, Secretary, Women's Secretariat of Mexico and head of the delegation, said Mexico reaffirmed at the highest level its commitment to this Committee, to peace, and to the fight against discrimination against women and girls in all their diversity.
Questions by a Committee Expert
YAMILA GONZÁLEZ FERRER, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said Mexico was a great country which faced colossal challenges. Mexico should be congratulated on electing its first female President in its history, and the Committee recognised the State’s decision to adopt a feminist foreign policy, as well as the 2024 constitutional reform that incorporated the right to substantive equality, a life free from violence, and decent care. The Committee also welcomed the constitutionalisation of the National Care System, the ratification of International Labour Organization Convention 189 on domestic work, and the progressive decriminalisation of abortion in several states.
However, there were several issues. The National Council to prevent discrimination seemed to have been weakened and seemed to lack power to strengthen itself; what had been done to strengthen this institution? What steps had been taken to put in place criminal legislation which provided legal certainty for women? What measures had the State taken to strengthen the independence of the National Human Rights Commission? What help had it provided to women searching for the disappeared?
What mechanisms did the State put in place to guarantee an effective, gender-sensitive judicial response? Were there interpreters available in indigenous languages? Were there reparations available for victims of gender crimes? What measures were being planned to ensure elected judges had knowledge to judge with a gender perspective? Could statistics be provided on the fast-track and pretrial procedure, to illustrate how female victims had benefitted from these changes? Had the performances of judges who had been trained been assessed?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said that since 2018, the country had been experiencing deep seated change, including in the public administration system. Mexico was a federal republic with 32 different constitutional bodies. It was important to mention the inclusion of discrimination in article 1 of Mexico’s Constitution. The law on equality between men and women included a new law on discrimination. There was a worsening situation for women in Mexico. In non-progressive States, the situation was worse for women. This was due to religious ideas, which impacted women’s sexual and reproductive health rights.
Mexico had special prosecution services in different bodies. These ensured that the highest standards were used when investigating cases of femicide. In cases of femicide, it was important to comply with standards relating to the crime. Protocols had been standardised for the crimes of femicide. The Tribunal of Judicial Discipline had been created to combat impunity. Lack of access to justice often took the form of impunity. The Women’s Secretariat was working with the Department of Prosecutions to create a network of female lawyers to provide advice and organise strategic lawsuits.
The National Human Rights Commission was a public independent body, with independence guaranteed in Mexican laws. It issued recommendations on human rights violations when there was a gender element, and had general recommendations on femicide. The Constitutional reform outlined the rights of indigenous peoples to be assisted by an interpreter, which must be taken into account to ensure appropriate defence in court.
The reform of the judiciary began with a desire to see parity in access, including equal representation of men and women as judges and magistrates. Currently, only 30 per cent of these positions were held by women. A judicial school would focus specifically on training. A guidebook was being created for gender-based judgements which would represent a crucial tool. There was one training programme which was binding for all members of the judiciary, and it was helping the State achieve progress.
The previous corruption of the judiciary did not allow women or relatives of killed women to defend themselves. Unofficial pretrial was used due to the corruption of the judiciary. Many judges would free perpetrators of femicide who would then threaten the relatives of murdered women.
Questions by Committee Experts
A Committee Expert congratulated Mexico on the election of the first female President, and recognised the steps taken to achieve gender equality, including the creation of the first Ministry for Women in 2024. What concrete steps was Mexico taking to strengthen effective coordination between national institutions on policies relating to the rights of women and girls, in light of technical and financial challenges; what concrete steps were being provided to strengthen their international capacity? How was it ensured that institutions received technical resources to support their work?
Another Expert said Parliament had a high level of women’s representation, and as heads of Government. However, while women comprised 50 per cent of candidates for mayoral elections, they were not being elected at the same rate, and faced barriers, including political violence and stereotypes. Why had Mexico not adopted temporary special measures in this regard? What temporary special measures had the State adopted to ensure parity in decision-making positions? What about for the heads of corporate and private companies? Would the State consider adopting a positive discrimination act?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said since 2018, Mexico had promoted the participation of women in the peace and security sector. Work had been carried out to mainstream gender issues in all budgets and Government actions. This year, half the budget was allocated for men, and half for women. The budget aimed to make up areas of weakness in inequality. The National Programme for Equality between men and women had mechanisms for follow-up and for impact assistance. A national system was in place for the prevention and eradication of violence. A national database included a recording or registration of incidents of violence of women and girls; this was a register which different bodies fed information into. The State aimed to have a living database which gave a clear overview of cases.
Mexico already had a law on equality. As part of the 2021 electoral process, the competitive block system had been used. As part of the block, three levels of competitiveness were established in different areas. This aimed to ensure women were candidates in places where they had a real chance of winning, which aimed to improve women’s participation at the local political levels. In Mexico, there was no quota in place, but legislation was amended to bring about equality between men and women in elections.
A network of defenders had been put in place throughout the country, and within the network, there was now a defenders training network. These people were selected to train and pass on their knowledge and skills, including on electoral justice. The recent 2024 election had resulted in 540 female local authority council leaders. The burden of proof had been reversed to ensure defendants had to provide they were not violent to women in the local council.
During the pandemic in 2021, the health system put in place special measures for women and girls to deal with the additional burden on them to provide caring in the home. This meant there had to be coordination on mental health services. There were now centres which provided services to workers in the mental health sector and users of the mental health system. Issues such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and depression, and their treatments, were key focuses. Mental health services had been provided during lockdowns.
There had been political party shenanigans when quotas were in place. Mexico had equality. Any electoral list needed to be composed of 50 per cent women and 50 per cent men. Positive discrimination and quotas were previously essential, but the State did not need them now because political equality had been achieved and Mexico was working to maintain it.
Questions by Committee Experts
An Expert said the Committee was concerned about the different definitions of feminicide, which meant many murders of women were not classified as feminicide. Currently just 20 per cent of female murders were classed as femicide. The persistence of stereotypes in the media, which mainly impacted minority women, was concerning. Nonconsensual surgeries which impacted women with disabilities and indigenous women were also concerning. What training was provided to the judiciary? Was its impact assessed? The search protocol for women and girls who had been disappeared was not effectively implemented throughout the country, which was concerning.
The Committee was also worried at the lack of inclusion of an intersectional approach in investigation protocols. The lack of access to information, including rulings on violence against women, was additionally concerning. The Committee was worried about the lack of a broad reparations policy for victims, particularly victims of violence or those who had been disappeared. Data was lacking in many areas, including for women and girls who had been disappeared.
What measures were put in place for companies running social media to ensure they sanctioned criminal postings on their websites? Could information be provided about women who were deprived of liberty?
A Committee Expert said the improvement of legislation on trafficking, including the general law to prevent, punish and eradicate trafficking in persons, was a positive step, as well as the creation of the Inter-Secretarial Commission on Trafficking, and the work of the Commission for Victim Support. Nevertheless, the lack of sufficient implementation and coordination persisted as well as inefficient investigations, and the complicity of authorities with organised crime related to trafficking.
What specific measures had the State adopted to prevent, investigate and punish trafficking in women for the purpose of sexual exploitation, and with what results? How was it ensured that trafficking policies did not criminalise or re-victimise victims? What actions had been developed against trafficking networks affecting migrant women and girls? What programmes existed to guarantee reparation and mental health care to victims? How were victims, who had been forced to engage in illegal acts by the cartels, protected? How would the State party maintain a gender focus in their security policy? Weapons in the United States were the main reasons for killings in the country. What follow-up measures did the Government consider in regard to United States manufacturers of weapons?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said 71 justice centres existed in the country. A programme was in place to shed light on situations of violence which took place in different parts of the country, and bring down the levels of violence nation-wide. In 2024, the Charter was created to protect citizens from trafficking in persons, published in multiple languages, as well as in indigenous languages, and disseminated throughout the Government and federal bodies. A manual on trafficking and an agreement had been developed, allowing local staff to be used to assist victims of femicide. There was now a legal obligation to disseminate all decisions; these were now publicly available. All persons were required to undergo mandatory training from the judiciary.
Mexico was aware that gender needed to be mainstreamed. Around 62 per cent of mothers seeking the disappeared were located in seven federal states of Mexico. Among the Constitutional reforms carried out, the comprehensive act on the national system of public security had been amended to create a special chapter on protection measures. The Women’s Secretariat was raising the visibility of these measures to prevent violence against women. The Mexican State had committed to developing a register to track orphans who were victims of femicide. The State had been working on the harmonisation of the search protocols for women and girls. The coverage of the justice centres for women had been enlarged, and there were now almost 80 in operation.
The fast-track procedure for femicide should not be compared to impunity. This process was an opportunity to have access to truth, if the accused was convicted. It enabled important information to be secured to ensure no further information escaped the prosecution. The programme to combat trafficking was being updated this year.
Mexico had 33 criminal codes nationwide, due to the country’s federal makeup. In the national criminal procedure, there was one single definition; femicide was criminalised, with gender stipulated as a ground. Work had been undertaken on media violence, and several secondary laws which suppressed online and media violence had been amended. Anyone guilty of online violence was liable to be punished. The definition of femicide had been reworked, as had the measures to provide compensation to victims. Mexico had developed protection measures for victims of online and media violence, which was something no other country had done before.
Legal reforms and awareness campaigns had been put in place to eradicate forced marriage. It was essential to put in place a law which stipulated that marriage should only take place at the age of 18. It was vital to eradicate child marriage in indigenous communities. There had been a drop in this phenomenon of four per cent since 2018.
The State recognised the difficult situation of women in a mobility situation and the risk of gender-based violence. The right to apply for refugee status was recognised in Mexico and was supported by various agreements.
There was no militarisation of Mexico’s security system. It was acknowledged that violations had been committed by Mexico’s armed forces, and the State was committed to ensuring these events did not reoccur. Mexico would ensure that codes were in line, so all crimes were dealt with the same way across the whole country. The State would review communications and assess how femicide was reported, which could often lead to revictimisation of the victim. It was vital to combat impunity in order to combat violence.
Civil society organizations had been key in achieving progress in Mexico, including in the areas of digital violence. The State aimed to work together with social media platforms to prevent digital violence from occurring. Mexico was a victim of trafficking in weapons. It was essential for the State to continue to wage war on this phenomenon.
When considering how to classify crimes of femicide, the rulings related to several factors, including the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. Criteria were now in place which mandated that any violent death of a woman was to be investigated as a femicide. It was vital to ensure the prosecution services were strengthened. There were now 40 prosecutors and around 100 people investigating cases of femicide. For 2024, there had been 2,564 first degree murders of women, as well as more than 800 femicides.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said the Committee commended the State party’s achievements of guaranteeing equality in political and public life. Reforms had been implemented towards preventing and eliminating gender discrimination. This had resulted in a 43 per cent improvement in women’s public leadership positions. The Committee lauded the 2019 constitutional reform entitled “gender parity in everything”, which guaranteed the political rights of women towards certifying gender parity for all candidates for elected political office, including municipalities with indigenous and Afro-Mexican populations. Law 303 against violence was also lauded, which prevented male aggressors or those sentenced for violence from holding public office. However, concerns remained.
Could the State party outline existing measures to prevent political violence against women? What special measures had been adopted to ensure the political participation of indigenous women and other minority groups? What percentage of women heading embassies and multilateral organizations was held by traditionally marginalised women? What plans existed to combat women’s low levels of political participation and strengthen their participation in the community and social participation beyond elections?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Mexico produced disaggregated data regarding the situation of women. There were 78 programmes desegregating data by gender. The national survey on domestic relationships provided information on violence against women at home. It reflected a falling trend in domestic violence. Concerning financial issues, according to data, more than 26 per cent of women now had increased access to financial products, including loans and credit. The State was using available data to design and monitor public policies which were evidence-based.
Around 200,000 firearms unlawfully entered Mexico every year. Mexico was awaiting the decision of the International Criminal Court of Justice on this. Trafficking in arms was a scourge in the country, and it was important to combat this. Gender gaps needed to be reduced in leadership roles. The most recent survey stated that women made up 37 per cent of the diplomatic core, only 25 per cent of whom were ministers. There were training programmes in place for public officials regarding political violence against women. Specialised meetings had been carried out to disseminate the rights of women, including those with disabilities, migrant women, and rural women. In connection with civil society, a network had been created with women human rights defenders, guaranteeing the participation of these groups in courts. It was mandatory to ensure parity in municipal bodies.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert welcomed the provision in the law which permitted the transmission of nationality to descendants, including children born abroad. What measures had the State adopted to ensure universal birth registration? Had rural offices for birth registration been established? What measures had been adopted to overcome barriers that indigenous women faced when they sought to register their children? How was access to identity documents ensured? What measures had been taken to facilitate the return of Mexican citizens to Mexico and guarantee their access to identity papers?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said coordination groups had been established with the state civil registry, and registration campaigns had been launched. Mobile units addressed issues regarding the registration of migrant births. There was no restriction on the status of a migrant person, whether documented or undocumented, to process their application to have access to services.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert commended Mexico for progress made in the area of education, including the education act which recognised the right to secular, free, inclusive education, which was gender and human rights based. The State party was encouraged to continue and consolidate these efforts. What measures were underway to guarantee access to education? What was Mexico doing to ensure that gender equality was truly maintained in school curricula? What percentage of the educational budget was set aside for gender-based programmes? How were their impacts assessed?
The Committee noted with concern the high school drop-out rates due to pregnancy and violence. The ongoing persistence and increase of violence against women and adolescents, at all educational levels, was also concerning, particularly high levels of sexual violence. What measures had Mexico taken to guarantee education for pregnant teenagers and to prevent them from leaving school? How was it ensured that comprehensive sexual education was provided at all levels and in all states? Was there a plan to ensure the eradication of gender-based violence in schools? What measures was the State taking to guarantee standardisation and the enforcement of penalties?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said the new school model was based on the gender perspective, and the new sexual education syllabus had been created under this model. In 2024, Mexico significantly invested in the training of teachers, as part of the national strategy to deal with and prevent teenage pregnancy. This also focused on keeping teenagers who were pregnant in school. A programme called violence-free schools supported people working in schools. A protocol had been ratified to ensure the referral, channelling, follow-up and prevention of sexual violence in schools.
School dropout rates had fallen by 75 per cent for basic education, 26 per cent for secondary education, and 18 per cent in further education. Mexico had invested just over 500,000 dollars on school infrastructure. A national strategy was in place to prevent early pregnancy and there had been a 10 per cent drop in early pregnancy in Mexico over the past three years. Particular focus was paid to rural and isolated areas, where the issue was connected to others such as forced marriage. Schools feeding programmes offered food and support to Afro and indigenous students. There were also scholarships available for higher education.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said the Government had adopted gender responsive labour reforms which promoted women’s access to employment, which was commendable. However, the majority of women were concentrated in the informal market, and only 25 per cent of managers were women in private and public sectors. Women also faced sexual harassment and threats in the workplace.
What actions had Mexico taken to close the gender wage gap between women and men? How could women be helped to improve their digital literacy to start their own businesses and ensure employment? How was it ensured that women employed in the domestic, care and agricultural sectors enjoyed social security and paid care benefits? How could indigenous women, women with disabilities, and migrant women have access to paid employment and social security? What complaints mechanisms were in place for women in the labour market?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said a programme was in place for rural and agricultural workers and temporary workers, with more than 20,000 women enrolled. A programme had been put in place for domestic workers, with 60,000 domestic workers enrolled. Nearly 200,000 persons benefitted from childcare schemes. Legislation had been drafted allowing for pregnant persons to ask to be placed back on their post when they returned to work. Short-term contracts were available for pregnant persons, which had to be extended after maternity leave had been taken.
A pilot project was being developed in Mexico, and legislation had been promulgated on rights for domestic workers. Mexico had made progress in the areas of health, education and welfare. A new minimum wage policy had been instigated to ensure a decent wage to those who earned the least. The gender pay gap had been reduced by 29 per cent at the local level between 2019 and 2024. The minimum wage for workers in border areas with the United States had increased significantly. Over the past six years, there had been an 18.7 per cent increase in the number of women covered by social security systems. In 2022, an agreement was struck between the private and public sector which aimed to monitor and assess the gender pay gap.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert said since the last meeting with Mexico, there had been significant progress in sexual and reproductive health, but challenges still remained. How was care for women guaranteed in State hospitals? Why did vaccination coverage dramatically drop from 100 per cent to 28 per cent to 2021? What was the reason for the increase in breast cancer cases in the country? What was the State doing to target women’s health?
Mexico should be commended for progress made in legalising abortion; however, it had still not been decriminalised in nine jurisdictions. Care services for women who had chosen to have an abortion due to rape were still linked to the judicial system. Some young children were detained because they had had an abortion. How was the State party planning to resolve these challenges? How did the State intend to address issues such as hostile health workers or access to modern contraception?
How would the State combat the forced sterilisation of indigenous women and those with disabilities? Had there been reparations for victims? What measures were being taken to ensure a gender perspective when assessing the disabilities of women? How could women who were victims of gender-based violence have access to mental health services without stigmatisation? Were there special services for the rehabilitation of children whose mothers were victims of violence?
Responses by the Delegation
The State was revising the law to ensure that cases of rape were not linked to the judicial system. It did not need to be proven that sexual violence had taken place to have access to a safe abortion. The federal system continued to work with the nine states where abortion had not been decriminalised. All contraception products were free and provided by the health care system for anyone who required them. Mexico was reviewing all informed consent in relation to the health system to ensure they were accessible to persons with disabilities, and to allow anyone to have full control over decisions being taken or any procedure recommended for them.
The new health system guaranteed all women had the same quality, standardised care throughout the country. One of the emblematic programmes of the new administration covered treatment for the elderly and persons with disabilities. Thousands of doctors and nurses had been recruited and went door to door seeking out these people and helping them to create a medical file to receive the care they needed. More than 80 justice centres provided free psychological and counselling services. The State needed to recruit additional specialised healthcare workers to bolster mental health services.
Mexico was working closely with offices that defended the rights of children and adolescents to enable them to identify children and adolescents at risk in all areas. Guidelines had been issued in February this year, focusing on obstetric violence. No woman in Mexico was in prison because she had carried out an abortion. An amnesty had been declared last year for anyone in prison for this reason. The State had been working to ensure all these women were released.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert commended the State party on its notable initiatives to advance the economic and social benefits of women, including the microcredits for wellbeing programme, with over 70.5 per cent of the 1.25 million loans allocated to women. Nonetheless, their impact was limited. Mexico had the lowest rate of women’s economic participation in the region and would not reach gender parity on corporate boards until 2052. What plans were in place to integrate unpaid care and domestic work into macroeconomic frameworks? Were women non-governmental organizations consulted to capture their views and voices in the design?
What measures were in place to increase female leadership in economic sectors, financial portfolios, and procurement opportunities? How were women, particularly indigenous, Afro-Mexican, rural and migrant women, and women with disabilities benefiting from targeted economic interventions? What concrete plans existed to expand women’s participation in sports leadership? Were there gender targets within the investment plan and the sovereign wealth fund? The State should be commended on the act which regulated the digital sector. Was there data available on the level of reparations provided by companies regarding violations of women’s rights?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Mexico aimed to boost domestic trade through a number of credit lines, and aimed to empower workers economically. The President had created the very first cooperative with the cleaners in the Presidential Palace. Significant progress had been recorded in the reduction of poverty.
There had been a 12 percent increase in the income of rural women. There had been a financial transfer to women between the ages of 60 and 64. Women athletes earned up to 500 per cent less than men for the same sport. An initiative had been developed to ensure that women who were professional sports persons were entitled to a basic wage, which so far did not exist for female athletes. Around 5,403 economic projects had been supported by the State to drive forward activities for productive education for communities and regions. This year, Mexico would be creating 200 childcare centres to ensure that women, particularly rural and indigenous women, did not have to leave their job to care for their children.
All economic projects had a gender-based approach. Everything began with consultations with the community. Many new governmental funds were earmarked for the fostering of the participation of women in rural areas, including for land titles.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert asked if the Mexico City law for the murder of trans people for reasons of identity would be extended to all 32 states? Would the ratification of the new United Nations Cybercrime Convention of 2025 be considered? While Mexico had seen an 18 per cent reduction in rural poverty, this issue persisted. How would the plan developed address rural poverty? Would rural women be able to overcome cultural taboos to land ownership?
Around 46.1 per cent of those in pretrial detention were women. Women were sometimes kept in prison awaiting sentencing for many years. How would the State strengthen their due process rights in this regard? How would the State bring a survivor-centred approach to justice for the disappeared and their families? It was acknowledged that the President had committed her office to addressing enforced disappearance; however, it was important to bring a gender perspective to this.
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said more than 10 million people had come out of poverty over the past seven years, due to the social policies in place specifically targeting rural and indigenous areas. Mexico had social protection caravans, ensuring protection and advice was taken to women in different areas. Training was provided to rural women and they were given special tools and knowledge to exercise their land rights. The State had reached the goal to issue 150,000 land titles.
Special gynaecological and trauma services had been provided for women in prisons. There was special care for pregnant women in prison and children detained with their mothers. A mechanism was in place to follow-up on cases of torture. The Public Defender had carried out 5,600 visits to female detainees, and ensured that measures they had implemented had yielded results, including special care for trans women. Lengthy pre-trial detention periods had to be overseen by a court. Mexico had stated at the Conference of States parties that they did not agree with the implementation of a declaration which rid the Convention against Enforced Disappearances of its meaning. This was a unilateral decision by the Committee.
Questions by a Committee Expert
A Committee Expert asked what was being done to help women facing intersectional discrimination to claim their rights in court? What would be done to harmonise indigenous rules with gender equality? What had been the impact of efforts targeting law enforcement authorities? What were the plans for the future to make family judges and lawyers, social workers and local authorities fully aware of women’s rights? The Committee commended Mexico for positive trends in combatting child marriage. What was being done to raise awareness about the minimum age of marriage and further improve respect for the prohibition of early marriage?
Responses by the Delegation
The delegation said Mexico had made constitutional reforms and reforms to secondary law to protect all women in their diversity, including migrant women, domestic workers, and indigenous women. A lot of progress had been made in protecting the intersectional rights of women. A court had noted that it was mainly women who had caring responsibilities, and the State was focusing on the situation on the division of labour. Measures had been taken to provide information in indigenous languages.
Closing Remarks
CITLALLI HERNÁNDEZ MORA, Secretary, Women's Secretariat of Mexico and head of the delegation, commended the Committee for its work and the Experts for their questions and comments. All the different sectors of the State were involved in drafting the report. Mexico had made progress but there were areas where challenges remained. Mexico had a striving civil society and a strong feminist movement, as well as the first woman President. The Committee’s recommendations were very important for the Government, and the dialogue had been an enriching experience. Mexico was committed to changing the lives of all women in the country.
NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, said she had been privileged to meet the President of Mexico and was hopeful about her vision. It was an exceptional opportunity for the world to have a female in this position. Ms. Haidar thanked Mexico for the constructive dialogue which had provided further insight into the situation of women and girls in the country.
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CEDAW25.0013E