Violence against Women during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico

Abstract

This study measured the prevalence of cases of domestic violence against women and some associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. Data were collected through a remote survey during 2020. The sample included 47,819 women aged 15 years and older. Jointpoint regression and logistic regression models were used. The prevalence of violence was 11.5%, which decreased in July and subsequently increased. The associated factors were being unemployed (OR = 2.01; 95%CI 1.89–2.16); being partially and totally quarantined (OR = 1.58; 95%CI 1.43–1.75 and OR = 1.47; 95%CI 1.32–1.63); being a caregiver of children; being a caregiver of elderly and/or suffering from a chronic illness (OR = 1.27; 95%CI 1.19–1.36; OR = 1.42; 95%CI 1.33–1.53; OR = 1.59; 95%CI 1.47–1.73); losing a family member to COVID-19 (OR = 1.26; 95%CI 1.13–1.41); and binge drinking (OR = 1.94; 95%CI 1.78–2.12). The confinement measures increased gender inequalities, economic problems and workload which further evidenced violence against women.

Mexico’s surge of violence and COVID-19 drive life expectancy losses 2015–2021

“…(19) Many of these deaths form part of Mexico's ongoing feminicide crisis, whereby women and girls are killed intentionally because of their gender. Public health measures aimed to curb the spread of COVID-19, such as lockdowns, may have also resulted in increased violence against women and girls, although this can also be difficult to quantify due to reporting challenges (20).…”

Family Medicine and Primary Healthcare: The Past, Present and Future

“…Two of the articles published in the Special Issue examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary healthcare with regard to the support of domestic violence cases during the lockdown in Mexico [57] and the working conditions of primary care physicians who were faced with great difficulties in managing patients, whereby remote care was added to routine care, adding to the already overwhelming burden of primary care with limited human resources [55]. Other topics, such as the study of the relationship between sarcopenic obesity and auditory function [51], the administration of useful drugs to reduce weight in obese patients [58], the evaluation of the clinical management of specific dermatological conditions by primary care physicians [39] and the description of the shortage of GPs in relation to the need to enhance university training in primary healthcare [62], were also addressed in this Special Issue.…”

“…As evidence of the interest generated by the aforementioned topics of debate, as of 10 July 2023, 18 manuscripts have been accepted for publication in the Special Issue entitled "The 10th Anniversary of Healthcare-Family Medicine" following the peer review process. Specifically, 2 reviews, 1 perspective and 15 articles were published online [39,40,[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63].…”

Edged beyond thresholds of conventional vulnerabilities: Critical reflections on COVID‐19, women and gender

“…Race and gender are some particularized human variations leading to discrimination or violence to produce particular experiences of vulnerability. Mexico recorded an average of about 15% increase in violence against women during the COVID‐19 in 2020 while five cities in the United States recorded an average of about 14% in that same year (Babalola et al, 2022; Rivera Rivera et al, 2023). Differences in social locations within relationships determine our resilience to vulnerability as it creates opportunities and provides access to resources for addressing vulnerabilities.…”