Mexico enacts new protections for feminicide victims and criminalizes forced cohabitation

The Mexican Senate has unanimously approved a project to strengthen security and welfare measures for victims of feminicide. The reform to the General Law on Women's Access to a Life Free of Violence mandates that the State guarantee personal, family, and community security, as well as the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of both direct and indirect victims.

Data from the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System indicates that between January 2015 and September 2025, 8,939 feminicides were recorded in Mexico, with high concentrations in the states of Mexico, Sinaloa, Chihuahua, Mexico City, Jalisco, and Veracruz.

In a separate legislative move, the Congress of Chihuahua unanimously approved a reform to criminalize forced cohabitation involving minors. The new law establishes prison sentences of eight to 15 years for those who coerce or manage the informal or customary union of a person under 18 with an adult. Penalties will increase by up to one-third if the perpetrator is a relative, guardian, or custodian. Chihuahua becomes the 19th Mexican state to recognize this practice as a crime, addressing a human rights issue that the UN suggests could take 300 years to eradicate at current rates.