The government of Guerrero expects to create the conditions necessary to lift the Gender Violence Alerts in Acapulco and Zihuatanejo before the end of 2026. State authorities have indicated that these two municipalities are among those showing the greatest progress in complying with the measures associated with the alerts.
The announcement was made by Anacleta López Vega, acting head of the Guerrero Secretariat of Government, who said that the state administration intends to achieve the removal of at least two of the nine Gender Violence Alerts currently active in the state during this year. One corresponds to Acapulco and the other to Zihuatanejo.
López Vega explained that the government is working with a program intended to strengthen public policies and implement additional measures to address violence against women. She emphasized the need for coordination between federal, state and municipal authorities in order to achieve the necessary results.
The state official said that the objective is not simply to implement isolated actions, but to ensure that the information collected through evaluations and studies is translated into concrete strategies and public policies.
The government recently presented the results of an Encuesta de Percepción de la Seguridad de Mujeres Usuarias del Transporte Público, developed to determine where, when and under what circumstances women feel unsafe while using public transportation.
According to the survey, 85.9% of the women interviewed feel unsafe during at least one stage of their journey on public transportation. In addition, 63.6% do not know which institution they should approach if they experience harassment or sexual harassment.
The study was conducted in the nine municipalities in Guerrero that have a Gender Violence Alert, with the participation of academics and students from the Autonomous University of Guerrero (UAGro). The purpose was to obtain information directly from women who use public transportation and use the results to strengthen prevention and assistance strategies.
The results are intended to serve as a guide for the state government in developing measures to improve women’s safety and strengthen institutional responses to violence.
Nine Municipalities Have Gender Violence Alerts
Guerrero currently has a Gender Violence Alert against Women for feminicidal violence covering nine municipalities.
The original declaration, issued in 2017, included Acapulco, Ayutla de los Libres, Chilpancingo, Coyuca de Catalán, Iguala, Ometepec, Tlapa and Zihuatanejo. Chilapa de Álvarez was subsequently incorporated into the mechanism.
The state also has a second Gender Violence Alert, issued in 2020 for comparative grievance, related to situations involving unequal treatment and deficiencies in the protection of women’s rights.
The state government’s intention to remove the alerts in Acapulco and Zihuatanejo does not mean that the problem of violence against women has disappeared. Authorities must demonstrate progress in complying with the measures and strengthening prevention and assistance mechanisms before an alert can be lifted.
Activists Question Progress in Most Municipalities
Women’s rights activists have warned that significant deficiencies remain in the majority of municipalities covered by the mechanism.
Marina Reyna Aguilar, president of the Guerrero Association Against Violence Against Women, has pointed to shortcomings in the implementation of measures designed to prevent violence and provide assistance to victims.
According to the activist, seven of the nine municipalities with a Gender Violence Alert continue to have deficiencies in prevention and assistance.
Reyna Aguilar has also criticized what she considers insufficient action and a lack of resources to adequately address the measures established under the Gender Violence Alert. In July, she warned that several municipalities continued to show delays in implementing the necessary actions.
At the same time, she has acknowledged that Acapulco and Zihuatanejo show greater progress than other municipalities in addressing the measures associated with the alert.
Security Perception Among Women
The survey conducted in Guerrero provides information about women’s experiences in public transportation.
The results indicate that a large majority of participants experience some degree of insecurity during their trips. The study also found a significant lack of knowledge among women about where to report cases of harassment or sexual harassment.
The state government intends to use the information as a basis for strengthening policies related to women’s safety, particularly in public spaces and transportation.
López Vega stressed that the survey should not remain simply as a document or statistic. The findings are expected to result in specific strategies and government policies aimed at addressing the situations identified by women themselves.
The authorities also plan to maintain coordination with the federal government and municipal governments included in the Gender Violence Alert declarations.
Acapulco and Zihuatanejo Could Be the First Alerts to Be Lifted
The state government’s goal is for Acapulco and Zihuatanejo to complete the necessary process by the end of 2026, allowing their Gender Violence Alerts to be lifted.
The process depends on demonstrating progress in the implementation of public policies, prevention measures, assistance mechanisms and other actions established as part of the alerts.
The government maintains that the work must continue through coordination among the different levels of government and that the results of recent evaluations should help identify areas requiring additional action.
The situation remains under observation by women’s rights organizations, which have warned that the removal of an alert should only occur when there is demonstrable and sustained progress in preventing violence against women and ensuring adequate institutional responses.
Source: oem
