Claudia Sheinbaum’s Advances Against Gender Violence via General Femicide Law

According to the Mexican government, 10 women and girls are killed daily in Mexico by intimate partners or other family members. This statistic becomes even deadlier as over 90% of homicides in Mexico do not result in a conviction, thereby making Mexico one of the countries with the highest levels of impunity. “Femicide”, a term coined by Diana E. H. Ruseel, refers to the killing of a woman due to gender-based reasons. In Mexico’s federal code, a homicide can be classified as a femicide under any of the following conditions: 1) The victim presents signs of sexual violence of any kind; 2) The victim has been infamous or degrading injuries or mutilations, prior to or after deprivation of life or acts of necrophilia; 3) There is a history or data of any type of violence in the family, work, community, political or school environment, of the active subject against the victim; 4) There has been a relationship between the active subject and the victim due to consanguinity or affinity or a sentimental, emotional, work, teaching, trust relationship or some de facto relationship between the parties; 5) There is data that establishes that there were direct or indirect threats related to the criminal act, harassment or injuries of the active subject against the victim; 6) The victim's body is exposed, thrown, deposited or displayed in a public place, or 7) The active subject has forced the victim to carry out an activity or work or has exercised any form of exploitation on them.

Although gender violence and impunity remains dominant, Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, made significant advances in anti-femicide law in April 2026 by introducing an anti-femicide general law. Newly approved, The General Law to Prevent, Investigate, Sanction and Repair Femicide has so far 109 unanimous votes in part of the Senate and 467 votes in the Chamber of Deputies. Once published in the Official Gazette of the Federation, the approved reform must now be passed by a majority of 32 local state congresses within 180 days for the reform to be in effect.

This law modifies Article 73, Section XXI of the Mexican Constitution which defines the powers of the Mexican government across all 32 states. The reformed Article 73 grants the Mexican Congress power over femicide and other crimes against citizens. This new law standardizes which addresses the legal gap with respect to heterogeneity of definitions of the crime, charges and protocols across different states. This nation-wide definition was critical as some states did not even contain femicide protocols within their jurisdiction. Thus, the following changes will be applicable across the entire country. The law further requires the Attorney General Office to investigate the violent death of a woman or girl under the femicide hypothesis from the beginning, which was not the standardized practice. Prior to this reform, femicides were typically first investigated as homicides.

The recent law has increased the charge of femicide to 40-70 years with 21 aggravating factors that incur heavier penalties if the victims were pregnant, children, disabled or elderly. Relatedly, aggravating factors also include that the victim is a human rights activist, migrant, public service worker or journalist. Previously, femicide penalties varied typically ranging from penalties of 40-60 or 45-65 years in prison. Notably, femicides carry heavier charges than aggravated homicides which resulted in lower maximum sentences.

This law also seeks to protect the victim’s relatives and ensure their wellbeing following a femicide by addressing the “emotional, social and economic” damages to the victims’ families. A victim’s death often leaves behind orphaned children or a family in deep emotional distress. Victims' families are also often forced to relocate due to threats in retaliation for seeking justice. Unfortunately, these relatives rarely receive the necessary psychological support or reparations. Special emphasis is thus placed on orphaned children and adolescents as the law seeks to support these affected minors economically, psychologically and socially. Ultimately, this new law represents a positive shift in anti-femicide laws that address the relational impact it has on the members of the victims’ families.

Lastly, this law establishes a specialized commission to prevent, sanction, and eliminate violence against women. This commission is tasked with campaigns against gender violence, as well as the creation of a registry on children and adolescents in orphanages due to femicide. Thus, this new General Law promises to introduce a legal mechanism that empowers victims of femicide and their relatives. Nevertheless, much like many laws introduced, it has yet to be approved by Congress. Once officially in effect, the challenge will be to enforce the laws in a country with alarming levels of impunity.