Documentation Regarding the Establishment of Women’s Justice Centers: A Case Study of Hidalgo, Mexico

Violence against women is a serious human rights issue that entrenches discrimination. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights declares that this type of violence “contradicts the acknowledgement and benefits of the human rights of women, including their right to life and a respect for their physical, mental and moral integrity.” It is possible to correct this to the extent that nations will fulfill their obligation to guarantee women effective and expeditious access to the justice system. This document presents the findings that emerge from a case study of the Women’s Justice Center of the State of Hidalgo, Mexico (Centro de Justicia para las Mujeres del Estado de Hidalgo), which was established within the policy framework of the Government of Mexico to create centers for women’s justice. In Mexico, such centers have been proposed in recent years as a means to guarantee women an access to justice.