Four years before the deadline set by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations (UN) warns that significant challenges remain in achieving substantive equality in Mexico, despite progress such as the election of its first female president.
According to UN Women Mexico, this March 8, under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For all women and girls,” the UN is demanding concrete measures to make equality before the law a reality.
According to UN Women Mexico, women and girls have, on average, only 67% of the legal rights that men have. At the current rate, closing this gap would take up to three centuries.
The UN Women Mexico emphasized that the election of Mexico’s first female president marks “a turning point in the defense and guarantee of women’s human rights in the country.”
In addition, gender parity has improved in federal and local legislatures, and 13 states now have female governors, almost double the number in 2018.
The organization highlights recent legal and institutional reforms, such as the criminalization of digital and political violence based on gender, the constitutional recognition of substantive and wage equality, and the right to a life free from violence.
It underscores the creation of the Secretariat for Women and the opening of the LIBRE Centers, with 678 locations by 2025 and support from all 32 federal entities.
In 2025, Mexico City hosted the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the Commitment of Tlatelolco was adopted, promoting a decade of action to accelerate substantive equality and advance toward a care society as a pillar of sustainable development and peace.
Despite progress, the UN notes that only 13.1% of women who experienced physical or sexual violence from their partner reported it to the authorities.
The main reasons for not reporting are fear, stigmatization, revictimization, lack of awareness of available mechanisms, institutional distrust, and impunity.
To overcome these barriers, UN Women Mexico emphasizes that law enforcement and judicial institutions must act in a coordinated manner, with accessible processes aligned with human rights, a gender perspective, and intercultural sensitivity.
The UN calls on governments, parliaments, the judiciary, public prosecutors, the private sector, academia, the media, civil society, and unions to invest in gender-sensitive justice systems, guarantee accessible and high-quality legal assistance, strengthen the enforcement of existing laws, and promote evidence-based policies to close the gaps.
“Access to justice is a pillar of sustainable development. Progress shows that change is possible; the challenge is to ensure that legal frameworks translate into effective protection and that justice systems guarantee real equality for all women and girls without distinction,” concludes UN Women Mexico.
Source: infobae
