In March of 2018, The Advocates for Human Rights submitted a stakeholder report on gender-based violence and LGBTI rights in Mexico for the 31st Session of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review.
In Mexico, women and LGBTI persons face pervasive violence and discrimination largely due to criminal gang activity. The Mexican government fails to protect women and LGBTI persons despite having established the 2007 General Law on Woman’s Access to a Life Free of Violence and accepting all recommendations regarding gender-based violence and gender and sexuality based discrimination at the 2nd Cycle UPR. In fact, 66.1 % of girls over the age of 15 have experienced gender-based violence in their lifetime, and an average of 6 LGBTI persons are killed every month. Moreover, impunity and corruption among law enforcement officials, who are often influenced by gang members, present a significant barrier to the prosecution of perpetrators of violence. Victims report extrajudicial killings and gender-and sexuality-based violence, frequently identifying law enforcement agents as either the perpetrators of abuse or complicit in the violence provoked by gang members.
The authors of the report suggest several recommendations for the government of Mexico, including: