Mexico Visit Report of UN SR Violence Against Women

E

UNITED NATIONS

Distr.

GENERAL

E/CN.4/2006/61/Add.4

13 January 2006

Original: ENGLISH

Economic and Social

*The summary of this mission report is being circulated in all official languages. The report

itself is contained in the annex to the summary and is being circulated in the language of

The present report contains the findings of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences on her mission to Mexico, which took place from 21 to 25 February 2005. It addresses the diverse forms of violence against women in the country and identifies key measures and initiatives needed to ensure the protection and promotion of the rights of women and the elimination of violence against women.

The Government of Mexico is party to a range of international standards that provide women with protection, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women. While the different levels of Government have taken significant steps towards fulfilling their international obligations, there is a need to do more to improve the police and justice sectors as well as the coordination between federal and State levels.

The present report makes the case that the high levels of violence against women in Mexico are both consequence and symptom of widespread gender discrimination and inequality. Additional layers of discrimination on the basis of national origin, ethnicity or socio-economic status coupled with a lack of equal access to State protection intersect with gender discrimination and make some groups of women - namely migrant, poor and indigenous women – particularly vulnerable to violence.

In view of the remaining challenges, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women calls on the Government of Mexico to take action under six broad categories: (a) end impunity for violence against women; (b) investigate and prosecute perpetrators of violence against women, especially in the State of Chihuahua; (c) provide protective and support services; (d) create a gender-sensitive information and knowledge base; (e) strengthen institutional infrastructure for the advancement of women; (f) promote training, operational and awareness-raising programmes.

The Special Rapporteur also calls on civil society, including human rights organizations and the media, to develop solidarity networks to develop common strategies for the advancement of women, to support and monitor the efforts of the Government to empower women, undertake research and continue to play a strong advocacy role in eradicating violence against women.

The Special Rapporteur calls on the international community to prioritize funding initiatives of groups providing research and advocacy projects that aim to contribute towards the advancement of women and to provide sufficient resources to strengthen the capacity of the United Nations Country Team to integrate the promotion and protection of women’s rights into all of its activities.