Overview of the Issue
Violence against women and girls remains a significant challenge in gender equality matters in Mexico. According to the Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública (SESNSP), an average of 1.8 feminicides is reported daily in the country.
State-by-State Analysis
The State of Mexico leads in reported feminicide cases, aligning with its high population density. Between January and August 2025, the State of Mexico saw 40 investigations for feminicide. Chihuahua, the City of Mexico, Morelos, and Sinaloa followed closely, accounting for nearly 33% of the nation’s cases.
- State of Mexico: 40 cases
- Chihuahua:
- City of Mexico:
- Morelos:
- Sinaloa:
Morelos has the highest feminicide rate per 100,000 women at 2.35, followed by Campeche, Tabasco, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua.
Additional Violent Crimes Against Women
Besides feminicides, which specifically reflect gender-based murders of women, Mexico has also seen 1,426 cases of intentional homicide against women that were not confirmed to be gender-motivated.
Intentional homicide includes violent deaths where the perpetrator intended to cause harm, but gender motivation cannot be proven.
Intentional Bodily Harm
In 2025, there has been a significant increase in women victims of intentional bodily harm. In just the first eight months, 53,092 cases were reported nationwide. This figure is notably high compared to 67,814 cases in all of the previous year.
Intentional bodily harm encompasses any act causing physical injury, health alterations, or compromising personal integrity with intent.
Challenges and Ongoing Concerns
Although the total number of cases for crimes classified as feminicide has remained stable over the past two years (2023 and 2024), reducing gender-based violence remains a challenge.
Moreover, other crimes against women—such as homicides, assaults, and domestic or family violence—continue to show high rates of occurrence.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is a feminicide? Feminicide refers to the intentional killing of women or girls due to their gender.
- Which states have the highest feminicide rates? The State of Mexico, Chihuahua, the City of Mexico, Morelos, and Sinaloa have the highest feminicide rates.
- What is intentional bodily harm? Intentional bodily harm involves any act causing physical injury, health alterations, or compromising personal integrity with intent.
- Why is violence against women a persistent issue in Mexico? Despite stable feminicide numbers, various forms of gender-based violence continue to affect women in Mexico, necessitating ongoing efforts to address and reduce such incidents.
