Violence against women in Mexico, ENDIREH 2021 survey findings, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, organizations are calling for stronger protection and justice mechanisms. Advocates say violence against women does not end when victims ask for help, because reporting, obtaining protective measures and accessing justice can expose women to new institutional barriers, questioning and practices that can become another form of violence.
Ahead of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, observed each November 25, Repara Lumea A.C. called for placing survivors at the center of public policy and ensuring that institutions respond to aggression without revictimizing those seeking help.
According to the 2021 National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships (ENDIREH), conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 70.1 percent of women aged 15 and older in Mexico have experienced at least one incident of violence in their lifetime. Psychological violence is the most frequent, followed by sexual violence.
The organization says this reality shows that aggression is not limited to intimate partners or physical manifestations. It also occurs in family, workplace, educational, community and digital settings, where control, harassment, intimidation and abuse can become normalized.
Flor Rodríguez, executive director and spokesperson for Repara Lumea, said one of the main challenges is preventing women from facing the consequences of reporting alone.
“A woman who decides to report should not encounter new barriers, questions about her conduct or institutions that minimize what she experienced. The responsibility of authorities is to listen, investigate, protect and guarantee access to justice,” she said.
The organization warned that laws and support mechanisms are not enough if survivors do not know their rights, lack accompaniment or receive institutional responses that minimize the aggression. It therefore called for stronger training for personnel who assist victims, accessible information, legal and psychological support, and protective measures against possible retaliation.
Repara Lumea also said authorities should evaluate what happens after a complaint is received: whether women obtain protection, whether their cases are investigated, and whether they can access specialized services that allow them to rebuild their lives without fear of new attacks.
Violence against women also occurs online through threats, harassment, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, identity theft and sexual content manipulated with artificial intelligence. The organization argued that institutions must develop responses that address the particularities of digital violence and avoid blaming victims for their presence on social networks or their use of technology platforms.
“The digital space is not separate from real life. A threat online, the non-consensual distribution of intimate images or a harassment campaign can affect a woman’s safety, emotional health, work and freedom,” Rodríguez said.
The organization said addressing these forms of violence requires the participation of authorities, technology platforms and educational institutions, as well as effective mechanisms for reporting and investigating aggression.
As part of its position, Repara Lumea called for five commitments: guaranteeing effective access to justice, establishing adequate protective measures, offering comprehensive legal and psychological care, strengthening prevention through education, and making institutional results on complaints transparent.
The call coincides with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, which runs from November 25 to December 10, Human Rights Day. This year, the international focus emphasizes guaranteeing justice for survivors and ending impunity.
For the organization, the challenge is for actions not to be limited to commemorative dates, but to translate into sustained responses and mechanisms that allow women to exercise their rights.
“The question should not be why a woman did not leave sooner, why she delayed reporting or why she did not ask for help. The question is what we, as a society and as institutions, are doing so that she can live without violence and, when she seeks help, finds a real response,” Rodríguez concluded.
