Speaking at a Mexico City event to commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, President Calderon addressed what he called Mexico's “culture of machismo,” acknowledging that millions of women face abuse and workplace discrimination despite the passage of laws targeting gender inequities and violence against women.
Earlier this year, Mexico enacted a law obligating authorities to prevent, punish, and eradicate violence against women, but only a handful of states have formally adopted the measure thus far. This week, Calderon signed an additional law aimed at preventing and punishing the trafficking and enslavement of women and children.
Violence against women in Mexico has gained international attention with the largely unsolved murders and disappearances of several hundred young women in Juarez and Chihuahua over the past ten years.
