Legislative Alliance with the Spotlight Initiative for the women and girls of Chihuahua

CHIHUAHUA, Mexico - On December 10, within the framework of the Spotlight Initiative, the President of the Congress of Chihuahua, Deputy Blanca Gámez Gutiérrez; and Deputies Georgina Alejandra Bujanda Ríos, Leticia Ochoa Martínez and Gustavo de la Rosa Hickerson, presented a package of bills to protect the rights of women and girls.

These proposed reforms are the result of dialogue with local civil society organizations and collaboration between the State Congress and the Spotlight Initiative, with technical assistance from the Action Group for Human Rights and Social Justice. Priority issues were outlined on the legislative agenda regarding the eradication of violence against women with the aim of incorporating these into state legislation.

Among the priority issues addressed by the bills are child femicide, sexual violence, the disappearance of women and girls, family violence and children orphaned by femicide.

Later, in a virtual event headed by the President of Congress and the Representative of UN Women Mexico, Belén Sanz Luque, an instrument was signed between the Congress of the state of Chihuahua and the Office of UN Women to promote parliamentary alliances to analyze, discuss and prepare legislative proposals on the eradication of violence against women and girls. This instrument will also promote efforts aimed at guaranteeing women and girls full access to their rights in accordance with the principles contained in international human rights instruments.

The UN Women Representative stated that, “This legislative alliance is a symbol that the eradication of violence against women and girls requires urgent action, beyond any identity or political affiliation, and that we should be united in our goal to ensure that women can live free of violence."

Jérôme Poussielgue, Head of Cooperation for the European Union in Mexico, stated that this “alliance with the Legislative Power of Chihuahua contributes to the modernization of laws and public policies that will have significant impact on a situation that worries us all."

At the end of the event, the commitment to Spotlight Initiative and the Chihuahua State Congress working jointly to consolidate more inclusive, progressive and protective regulatory frameworks for the rights of women and girls was endorsed.

The Spotlight Initiative is a programme launched by the European Union and United Nations, in partnership with the Government of Mexico and civil society, to prevent and eliminate all forms of gender-based violence, including femicide. In Mexico, Spotlight Initiative is implemented in five municipalities in three states of the country: Chihuahua and Cd. Juárez, in the state of Chihuahua; Ecatepec and Naucalpan, in the State of Mexico; and in Chilpancingo, Guerrero.

The programme is implemented by six United Nations agencies in Mexico: UN Women, UNFPA; UNDOC, UN DH, UNDP and UNICEF.

WATCH THE LIVE SESSION
WATCH THE LEGISLATIVE ALLIANCE

For more information on the Spotlight Initiative Mexico, visit:
Twitter @SpotlightAmLat
Global Website: SpotlightInitiative.org/Mexico
Website: United Nations México / Iniciativa Spotlight

Read the Mexico newsletters below:  
#1 October-Dec 2019 
#2 January-March 2020 
#3 April-June 2020 
#4 July-September 2020