Congress of Mexico City Approves General Law Against Femicide – What Does It Mean?

The reform empowers the Congress of the Union to issue the first General Law against Femicide, whose main objective is to standardise the criminal types and the penalties for this crime throughout the national territory.

Congress of Mexico City Approves General Law Against Femicide – What Does It Mean?

MEXICO CITY.In a night session that extended into Tuesday, 21 April, the Congress of Mexico City unanimously approved, with 50 votes in favour, the amended bill reforming Article 73 of the Political Constitution of Mexico. With this decision, the capital joins the Permanent Constituent Assembly to empower the Congress of the Union to enact the first General Law against Femicide, an initiative originally promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum.

Women’s Complaints

Congress of Mexico City Calls on Local Governments to Implement Programmes Against Domestic and Gender Violence

A Unified Front Against Gender Violence

The reform seeks to put an end to the disparity of legal criteria in the country, mandating the standardisation of criminal types and penalties across all 32 federal entities. During the debate, 16 female legislators from various political parties took to the podium to reason a vote that they described as ethical and humanitarian.

Deputy Elizabeth Mateos (Morena) opened the round, highlighting that this is a vital step to strengthen the administration of justice, while Lizzette Salgado (PAN) explained that the new constitutional authority will ensure that femicide is punished with the same severity throughout the national territory. For her part, Erika Rosales (Progressive Association) emphasised that this crime is “the most brutal expression of structural inequality.”

Comprehensive Vision and Justice for Victims

From the Morena bench, legislators such as Adriana Espinosa de los Monteros and Valentina Batres celebrated that femicide is no longer measured as an isolated event. “It is not a behaviour disconnected from its context, but rather the most extreme expression of violence,” stated Batres Guadarrama.

Representing the PVEM, Claudia Morales outlined that this crime is the result of a chain of harassment and abuse, while Patricia Urriza (MC), although welcoming the progress, warned that there is still a need to improve the operations of the attorney general's offices. In this same vein, the PAN member Olivia Garza questioned that beyond laws, the urgent matter is for the attorney general's offices to act immediately.

A Victory of the Feminist Movement

The coordinator of Women for Feminist Trade, Diana Sánchez Barrios, emphasised that the reform is not merely technical but profoundly political. Tania Larios (PRI) reminded that the ultimate goal is not just to create laws but to “change the reality of women.”

Finally, the coordinator of Morena, Xóchitl Bravo, concluded the speeches stating that this reform aims to strengthen the Mexican State in preventing, investigating, and eradicating violence. The approval was celebrated by Cecilia Vadillo (Morena) as a triumph of the tireless struggle of the families of victims and the feminist movement in Mexico.