Mexico: 786 Women Murdered in 2018, Says Report

Last year was one of the most violent in Mexico's history for women, with 786 femicides recorded by the Executive Secretariat of the National Public Security System (Sesnsp).

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"The figures refer to the number of victims registered in cases initiated in the Agencies of the Public Ministry and reported by the General Attorney's Offices and General Prosecutors' offices of the 32 states," according to the report.

Just over two women were victims of the "most extreme form" of violence against women in Mexico every day until November 2018, according to official figures, but the real figure could be even higher.

The Executive Secretariat data shows that women over 18 years old are the main victims of this kind of crime, but underage girls are also targeted.

According to Sesnsp, a total of 242,256 people were victims of crimes against life and bodily integrity, between January and November 2018.

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"They are making us disappear," is a common statement during protests against violence against women. 

According to UN Women in Mexico, "the violent death of women due to gender... is the most extreme form of violence against women and one of the most serious manifestations of discrimination against them."

The Secretary of Public Security in the state of Veracruz, which has the second highest femicide rate, said: "Unfortunately, every day the victims put themselves at risk with the activities they perform."

In the majority of cases, the perpetrators are not convicted specifically of femicide, so sentences - if a conviction is even secured - are minimal.

According to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), only 30 percent of the 8,904 women murdered in Mexico between 2014 and 2017 were investigated under femicide protocols.

CEDAW has recommended that the Mexican government classify femicides as a specific crime in every state.