Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Statistics

Sources report that, according to the National Commission for the Prevention and Eradication of Violence Against Women (Comisión Nacional para Prevenir y Erradicar la Violencia contra las Mujeres), in 2010, the state of Jalisco and the Federal District were among the seven states with the highest number of cases of violence against women (The Yucatan Times 17 Aug. 2011; CNN Mexico 8 Mar. 2011).

Sources report that in the first seven months of 2011, there were 67 women killed in the Federal District between 28 and 40 years of age (El Universal 26 July 2011; La Jornada 27 July 2011; Milenio 26 July 2011), and whose main activity was housework (ibid.; El Universal 26 July 2011). Media sources report that, according to the Human Rights Committee for Women in Latin America and Caribbean (Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para los Derechos de la Mujer), in Jalisco, 96 women were reportedly killed in 2011 as a result of domestic violence (Milenio 4 Mar. 2012) and 98 women were killed in the first eight months of 2012 (La Jornada Jalisco 14 Aug. 2012).

2. Government Services
2.1 Federal District

According to the government portal of the Federal District, there are 16 Domestic Violence Prevention and Assistance Units (Unidades de Atención y Prevención de la Violencia Familiar) in the Federal District (Federal District n.d.c). These units provide general information about domestic violence and offer, among other services, psychological and legal assistance to women who are victims of domestic violence (ibid. n.d.b). In addition, the Assistance Units provide insurance against violence (Seguro contra la Violencia) (ibid. n.d.g) and run the Program for Social Reintegration for women in shelters in Mexico City (ibid. n.d.h). The insurance provides monthly financial assistance in the amount of approximately 1,500 Mexican pesos [C$112 (XE 10 Sept. 2012)] to women in public shelters or those who received assistance from a civil organization because of the [translation] "extreme violence" in the family (Federal District n.d.g). The insurance is granted for one year (ibid.). The Program for Social Reintegration for women victims of [translation] "extreme violence" offers psychological, legal and medical services, support finding housing or a shelter, employment training and scholarships (ibid. n.d.h).

The Institute for Women in the Federal District (Instituto de las Mujeres de Distrito Federal, InMujeres DF), the government institution charged with promoting equal rights between men and women (Mexico n.d.d), runs 16 Assistance Centres (Centros de Atención) in the Federal District, such as Centro de Atencion "Alaide Foppa," "Marcela Lagarde," "Benita Galeana" and "Tina Modotti," among others (Federal District n.d.d). These Assistance Centres offer psychological and legal assistance to women who are victims of domestic violence (ibid. n.d.e).

The website of InMujeres DF indicates that the following government centres provide social, psychological and legal assistance to women victims of violence in Mexico City:

• Assistance Centre for Domestic Violence (Centro de Atención de la Violencia Intrafamiliar, CAVI);
• Therapy Assistance Centre for Victims of a Sexual Crime (Centro de Terapia de Apoyo a Victimas de Delitos Sexuales, CTA); and
• Legal and Social Assistance Centre for Victims of a Violent Crime (Centro de Apoyo Sociojurídico a Victimas de Delito Violento, ADEVI), among others (ibid. n.d.f).

The website of the National Institute of Women (Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres) of the Federal Government also provides the contact information of 229 public and civil society institutions that offer services to women victims of violence in the Federal District, such as psychological, legal, social and medical assistance (Mexico n.d.b).

According to the portal of the Federal District, the government operates one shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence in the Federal District, which has the capacity to house 95 people (Federal District n.d.a). The shelter provides temporary accommodation for up to three months and offers legal, medical and social assistance to women (ibid.). Women are referred to the shelter by the following organizations: Domestic Violence Prevention and Care Units, the Office of the Attorney General of the Federal District, the Human Rights Commission of the Federal District and the Assistance Centres of the Institute for Women throughout the Federal District (ibid.). Further information on the shelters and the evaluation of the programs offered to the victims of domestic violence in the Federal District could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

2.2 State of Jalisco

Media sources report that in August 2012, the Congress of Jalisco approved an initiative to modify the State Penal and Procedural Codes to make femicide a crime punishable by imprisonment for 20 to 40 years (El Universal 15 Aug. 2012; Azteca Noticias 15 Aug. 2012; El Informador 15 Aug. 2012). Further information on the initiative to modify the State Penal and Procedural Codes could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

According to the website of the government of Jalisco, the Women’s Institute of Jalisco (Instituto Jalisciense de las Mujeres) was established in March 2002 (Jalisco n.d.a). The Institute’s purpose is to improve the overall conditions of women and to promote their rights (ibid.). The website indicates that the Institute has a phone line (lineamujer) that provides psychological support, legal assistance and general information to help women make better decisions (ibid. n.d.b). The Institute has 111 statewide municipal centres for assisting women living in the state of Jalisco (ibid. n.d.c). The website lists the contact information for each centre, such as the address, telephone number and e-mail address of the contact person (ibid.).

The website of the Comprehensive Family Development Agencies of Guadalajara (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia Guadalajara, DIF Guadalajara) provides information on the services and programs offered to women in Guadalajara who are victims of domestic violence (Gualadajara n.d.a; ibid. n.d.b; ibid. n.d.c; ibid. n.d.d). For instance,

• Family Mediation Centres (Centros de Mediacion Familiar) offer comprehensive support, including legal services, mediation and conciliation services as alternative mechanisms to resolve conflicts (Guadalajara n.d.b).
• the Women Entrepreneurs (Mujeres Emprendedoras) program offers women work training programs in the tourist sector in order to facilitate their integration into the workforce and achieve financial independence (ibid. n.d.c);
• the Comprehensive Care for Families in Domestic Violence Situation (Atención Integral a Familias en Situación de Violencia Intrafamiliar) program provides psychological, legal and social services (ibid. n.d.d);
• the Centre of Comprehensive Care for Families in Domestic Violence Situation (Centro de Atencion Integral a la Violencia Intrafamiliar) offers psychological and medical assistance, as well as guidance on how to prevent cases of extreme violence (ibid. n.d.a).

The website of the National Institute of Women (Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres) of the Federal Government has a list of the phone numbers and addresses of 41 public and civil society institutions who provide services to women victims of violence (Mexico n.d.a). For example, the following services are available in Guadalajara:

• the Mexican Red Cross of the state of Jalisco (Delegación Estatal de Jalisco, Cruz Roja Mexicana) offers psychological, legal and medical assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week;
• the General Support Centre for Victims of Crime and Community Services (Coordinación General de Atención a Victimas del Delito y Servicios a la Comunidad) provides information about shelters and offers psychological, medical and emergency assistance to women;
• the National Human Rights Commission, Family Assistance Program for Domestic Violence (Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Programa de Atención a la Violencia Familiar) offers psychological, legal and medical assistance, as well as information about shelters (ibid. n.d.c).

Information on the shelters for victims of domestic violence in the state of Jalisco could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within time constraints of this Response.

According to the Human Rights Committee for Women in Latin America and Caribbean (Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer, CLADEM), in Jalisco, women do not report domestic violence because of the lack of follow-up by the authorities, mistrust in the judicial system or lack of information (CLADEM 2010). Corroboration on the above-mentioned topic could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Azteca Noticias. 15 August 2012. "Aprueban tipificar el feminicidio en Jalisco." [Accessed 31 Aug. 2012]

Cable News Network (CNN) Mexico. 8 March 2011. Luis Brito. "Las mujeres sufren altos niveles de violencia en siete estados del país." [Accessed 5 Sept. 2012]

Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para La Defensa De los Derechos de La Mujer (CLADEM). [2010]. Maria Guadalupe Ramos Ponce, Angela García Reyes, Luz Elena Rosas. Diagnostico del acceso a la justicia para las mujeres que viven violencia en el estado de Jalisco. [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

Federal District. N.d.a. Dirección General de Igualdad y Diversidad Social. “Refugio para Mujeres que viven Violencia Familiar.” [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.b. Dirección General de Igualdad y Diversidad Social. “Red de Unidades de Atención y Prevención de la Violencia Familiar (UAPVIF).” [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.c. Dirección General de Igualdad y Diversidad Social. “Directorio UAPVIF’S.” [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.d. El Portal del Instituto de las Mujeres del Gobierno del Distrito Federal. "Donde te Atendemos." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.e. El Portal del Instituto de las Mujeres del Gobierno del Distrito Federal. "Temas de Interés." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2007]

_____. N.d.f. El Portal del Instituto de las Mujeres del Gobierno del Distrito Federal. "Directorio de dependencias y entidades del gobierno del Distrito Federal que otorgan atención a mujeres víctimas de violencia." [Accessed 21 Aug. 2012]

_____. N.d.g. Dirección General de Igualdad y Diversidad Social. "Programa del Seguro contra la Violencia Familiar." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.h. El Portal del Instituto de las Mujeres del Gobierno del Distrito Federal. "Programas sociales." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

Guadalajara. N.d.a. Integración y Fortalecimiento Familiar. “Centro de Atención Integral a la Violencia Intrafamiliar (CAIVI).” [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.b. Integración y Fortalecimiento Familiar. “Centros de Mediación Familiar.” [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.c. Integración y Fortalecimiento Familiar. “Mujeres Emprendedoras.” [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.d. Integración y Fortalecimiento Familiar. “Atención Integral a Familias en Situación de Violencia Intrafamiliar.” [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

El Informador [Guadalajara]. 15 August 2012. "Jalisco tipifica el feminicidio y la trata de personas." [Accessed 31 Aug. 2012]

Jalisco. N.d.a. Gobierno de Jalisco. “Instituto Jalisciense de las Mujeres: ¿Qué hacemos?” [Accessed 6 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.b. Gobierno de Jalisco. “Linea Mujer.” [Accessed 6 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.c. Gobierno de Jalisco. “Instancias Municipales de Atención a las Mujeres del Estado de Jalisco.” [Accessed 6 Sept. 2012]

La Jornada. 27 July 2011. Gabriela Romero. "Este año, 67 homicidios dolosos contra mujeres, señala el procurador Mancera." [Accessed 10 Sept. 2012]

La Jornada Jalisco. 14 August 2012. "Diputados votan hoy tipificación de feminicidio." [Accessed 3 Sept. 2012]

Mexico. N.d.a. Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, Vida sin Violencia. "Líneas telefónicas en el país." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.b. Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, Vida sin Violencia. "Ver otros contactos del D.F." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.c. Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, Vida sin Violencia. "Ver otros contactos de Jalisco." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. N.d.d. Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres. "¿Quiénes somos?" [Accessed 10 Sept. 2012]

Milenio. 4 March 2012. "En Jalisco crece 67% la violencia familiar." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2012]

_____. 26 July 2011. Leticia Fernández. "Mancera: en el DF se han registrado 67 feminicidios." [Accessed 10 Sept. 2012]

El Universal. 15 August 2012. "Jalisco crea figura jurídica de feminicidio." [Accessed 4 Sept. 2012]

_____. 26 July 2011. Lidia Arista. "DF registra 67 homicidios dolosos contra mujeres, en 2011: Mancera." [Accessed 10 Sept. 2011]

XE. 10 September 2012. "Currency Converter Widget." [Accessed 10 Sept. 2012]

The Yucatan Times. 17 August 2011. "Mexico's Cancer: Domestic Violence, a Virtual License to Kill." [Accessed 5 Sept. 2012]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives of the following organizations were unsuccessful: Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos, Programa de Atención a la Violencia Familiar, Guadalajara; Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, Distrito Federal; Coordinación General de Atención a Victimas del Delito y Servicios a la Comunidad, Guadalajara; Departamento de Justicia, Guadalajara; Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres; Red por los Derechos de la Infancia en México; Observatorio Ciudadano Nacional del Feminicidio.

Internet sites, including: Advocates for Human Rights; Albergue Fray Antonio Alcalde de Guadalajara; Amnesty International; BBC; Change for Children; Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para los Derechos de la Mujer; Cornell University Law School; Diario al Momento; Ecoi.net; Factiva; Freedom House; The Hague Domestic Violence Project; Human Rights Watch; Insightcrime.org; LaNeta; Mexico — Cámara de Deputados, Comisión Nacional para Prevenir y Erradicar la Violencia contra las Mujeres, Diario Oficial de la Federación, Dirección General de Compilación y Consulta del Orden Jurídico Nacional, Gobierno Municipal of Guadalajara, Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, Secretaria de Gobernación, Secretaria de Salud del Distrito Federal, Secretaria de Servicios Parlamentarios, Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Publica; Mujeres Hoy; Notimex; El Nuevo Sol; Observatorio Ciudadano Nacional del Feminicidio; UN — UN Development Program, UN Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Refworld, UN Women, UN Women Watch; US — Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Department of State; Vanguardia; Womensnews.org, Zapopan, Jalisco.