Feminicides drop slightly in Mexico after reaching 1,000 per year during AMLO's term in office

report SRA 2025 / [ Version in pdf ]

√ Calderon's war on cartels led to a rise in homicides in general; femicides dropped under Peña Nieto, but statistics worsened under Lopez Obrador.

√ The deep-rooted machismo in Mexican society, aggravated by the codes of drug traffickers, partly explains the endurance of the problem.

√ The difficulty in defining femicide and changes in the official counting system result in divergent numbers that fuel social distrust.

The context of violence in Mexico has an alarming manifestation in the femicide rate. Mexican government figures show a slight improvement, although the decline is slow and the issue of murdered women remains high. Ten years ago, murders of women in which gender was among the attacker's motivations had reached a low of 28 per month (in May 2015). From then on, there was a steady escalation until reaching 112 per month (May 2021), which signified a ceiling from which a downward curve is being lowered.

Thus, the term of Andrés Manuel López Obrador was the six-year term in which the most femicides were registered (a total of close to 5,500, bordering several times a thousand per year, although the numbers vary according to sources). Towards the end of AMLO's presidency, which came to an end in September 2024, the homicide figures in general improved, and this was also the case specifically with femicides, so that the first months of Claudia Sheinbaum have not meant a substantial variation, although it could be expected that the downward trend will continue. In January 2025 there were 54 femicides, the second leave level in seven years.

Femicide and cultural environment

According to UN Women, femicides can be defined as the "intentional killing with a gender-related motivation, which may be driven by stereotypical gender roles, discrimination towards women and girls, unequal power relations between women and men, or harmful social norms." That said, the epidemic of femicides in Mexico can be attributed to cultural norms deeply rooted in machismo, an ongoing struggle with drug cartels, as well as a negligent government that continues to grant impunity to perpetrators, ignoring the crisis. Thus, creating a violent landscape where gender-based violence thrives and justice remains elusive.

The Mexican government defines machismo as a set of attitudes and behaviors that unfairly violate the dignity of women in comparison to men, often associated with deeply rooted gender norms perpetuated by immovable cultural aspects. According to a quotation from this official website, "stereotypes about machismo constitute critical ingredients of the symbolic capital used by ordinary Mexicans. For many, machismo is considered a constitutive part of Mexico's national heritage". This translates directly into social and family dynamics, where men are considered entitled to manage women's interactions and lives.

This leads to high fees of widespread gender-based violence. A government report indicates that in 2021, 70.1% of women nationwide reported having suffered gender-based violence. The highest category is psychological, with a rate of 51.6%, followed by sexual assault at 49.7%, physical violence at 34.7%, and finally economic discrimination at 27.4%. This is especially worrisome considering that more than 40% of the perpetrators of femicides are family members, ex-partners or the women's own partners. Cases of domestic violence have also shown a higher level of violence in the act itself, with the most common methods being strangulation or repeated stabbing. This demonstrates the staff nature of the act and, therefore, the unbalanced power dynamics that perpetuate machismo.

Relationship with drug cartels

Annual revenues of Mexican drug cartels are estimated to be around $35 billion, which not only increases widespread crime, but also femicides in the affected regions. These groups rely heavily on widespread violence and intimidation. In many cases, femicides involving cartel-linked perpetrators engage in acts of terrorism not only against rivals, but also for the purpose of reinforcing gender norms and punishing perceived dishonor. Women close to members of these organizations, or those who simply reside in cartel-dominated areas, often face greater risks, especially because gender-based violence is used as a method of asserting power and control within communities, and because human trafficking and exploitation are common practices within illegal organizations.

There is a clear relationship between the increased activity of these groups and the increase in femicide fees . One example of cartel-related femicide was the finding of five women's bodies in Cuautla in late 2022. The dismembered bodies were discovered in bags throughout the city and three of them had handwritten inscriptions stating that the murders were part of a revenge plot against a rival cartel. Moreover, this case, like many others, remains unsolved, as it is common for Mexican authorities to ignore gender-based murders.

Impunity and lack of rigor

In Mexico, the rate of impunity for femicides is alarmingly high; it is estimated that around 92% of femicides remain unpunished. The numbers of femicides are logically lower than the total number of women and girls murdered, but there is often a suspicion of undercounting: Mexican authorities are reluctant to prosecute femicide cases due to corruption and lack of resources. Investigations often lack the funding, training and staff necessary to adequately prosecute this subject of criminal cases. This jeopardizes the effectiveness of authorities in gathering evidence, conducting investigations and, in the last written request, prosecuting those responsible. As mentioned above, around 90% of cases remain unsolved or are simply dropped.

In addition, Mexican authorities are quick to misclassify what should be considered cases of femicide as suicides or accidents. Human rights groups have documented that many femicides are not recognized as such by law enforcement. This, once again, results in investigations that lack rigor and attention to patterns of violence against women. During his term in office, when asked about the high-profile case of Ingrid Escamilla (murdered by her partner), López Obrador told journalists that he did not want "the femicides to distract attention from the raffle", in reference letter to a raffle his administration organized around the sale of the presidential plane, massively ridiculing the national crisis as a whole and demonstrating the frivolity in which these cases are treated.

As Mexico's first female president, Sheinbaum does not start with a very positive record. During her management as Mexico City's head of government, femicides increased by 7.7%, although the general context of violence was somewhat more extreme. It remains to be seen how effective the turnaround she is making with respect to López Obrador in dealing with security issues is (she is leaving aside the 'hugs not bullets' of her predecessor). However, he continues to fail to address the systemic problems of machismo and corruption in law enforcement, which ensure the persistence of gender-based violence and impunity for perpetrators.