Domestic violence laws in the spotlight: enhancing protection services for survivors in Mexico

The Latin American convention on gender-based violence, known as Belém do Pará, creates obligations for individual countries to address domestic violence. Therefore, almost all countries in the region have legislative frameworks on domestic violence, but many face challenges in implementing them. This brief analyses the Mexican domestic violence law’s implementation and sets out some recommendations to improve it. It shows that, although a comprehensive law exists in Mexico, in practice, institutions should review and transform their mandate in order to fulfill the States’ obligation to prevent, protect and punish domestic violence.