Women’s Struggle for Safety and Justice – Violence in the Family in Mexico

August 2008
Violence in the family is the most common form of gender-based violence experienced by women worldwide. In Mexico, in a 2006 national survey almost one in four women said that they had suffered physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. This report focuses on cases of violence against women in the family in order to show that even in this area where official attention has been clearest, victims continue to encounter major barriers in obtaining justice and ensuring their safety. The report ends with recommendations to the authorities at all levels on the measures which they should take to fulfill their obligations under international law and to ensure that the protections promised by the law are made a reality in practice for women and their families throughout Mexico.