The number of femicides registered in Jalisco has risen since emergency measures to tackle violence against women were implemented.
The government of Jalisco issued a so-called “gender alert,” on February 8 which brings a series of emergency, preventative, protective, judicial and security measures into effect.
Yet 28 homicides of women have occurred since the alert was activated, higher than the number recorded in the previous bimester, when 18 homicides were registered.
Nevertheless, authorities have been keen to point out that the number of femicides this year has fallen in respect to the first four months of last year. While 45 femicides were registered from January to March last year, this year 35 have been recorded.
Jalisco is now the third state with an active gender alert – a mechanism introduced into law in 2007 following a surge of violent hate crimes against women in the border town of Ciudad Juarez.
Morelos and the State of Mexico launched similar emergency measures last year.
According to the National Citizen Femicide Observatory, at least seven women are killed every day in Mexico.
Stephen Woodman