LESSONS ON GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN’S POLITICAL EMPOWERMENT Adjudicating Political Violence Against Women Mexico’s electoral bodies have also been active in addressing barriers to women’s participation in politics, including political violence against women, building on successful efforts in Bolivia to criminalize violence against women in politics. 47 In 2020, Mexico amended eight national laws to include provisions to prevent and prosecute violence against women in politics, while the TEPJF ordered the creation of a National Registry of Sanctioned Persons for Violence Against Women in Politics, 48 and the INE adopted guidelines to cancel candidacies for any person found guilty of committing gender-based violence. Under the “3 for 3 Against Violence” rule, candidates for office must attest when they register their candidacy that they do not have any convictions or sanctions for family and domestic violence, sexual crimes or delinquent alimony debt. Mónica Aralí Soto Fregoso, Justice of the High Chamber of the TEPJF, noted at a conference in advance of the June 2021 elections that the TEPJF received 740 cases in the category of political and gender violence between November 2020 and May 2021. 49 These acts of violence include online violence against women candidates, including through social media. In one such case, the TEPJF determined that misogynistic behaviors expressed through Facebook and WhatsApp by a partisan state official constituted political violence against women based on gender, violating the human rights of the general secretary of a political party (the target of the abuse). 50 Again referencing the “principle of reversion” described above, the Tribunal upheld the judgment of the Electoral Tribunal of the State of Campeche and confirmed the penalties ordered by that body, including the registration of the official on the register of people sanctioned in matters of political violence against women based on gender. While the “3 for 3 Against Violence” rule has been both lauded and criticized as a means for addressing political violence against women, it is worth noting that this mechanism was implemented in the context of the most violent election in Mexico’s history, in which dozens of candidates were murdered while seeking to run for office. 51 Further, while intended to punish and presumably deter acts of political violence against women—an aim that is both admirable and necessary—this step is clearly insufficient to address the broader epidemic of gender-based violence in Mexico, a nation with one of the highest rates of femicide in the world. 52 47 https://www.panoramas.pitt.edu/news-and-politics/violence-against-women-politics-bolivia 48 Ordena TEPJF al INE crear lista de quienes cometan violencia política de género; la rechazan 2 magistrados [TEPJF orders the INE to create a list of those who commit gender political violence; 2 magistrates reject it], Aristegui (July 29, 2020), https://aristeguinoticias.com/2907/mexico/ordena-tepjf-al-ine-crear-lista-de-quienes-cometan-violencia-politica-de-genero-la-rechazan-2magistrados/. 49 Mónica Aralí Soto Fregoso, Justice of the High Chamber of the TEPJF in her presentation at the June 4, 2021 panel “Political rights of the citizens. Gender Equality and Social Inclusion” as part of the Informative Forum for Foreign Visitors sponsored by the Instituto Nacional Electoral, Mexico (INE). 50 See: SX JE 0003 2021 51 Luis Gómez Romero, Mexico's largest, deadliest and most polarised election, Univ. Melbourne (June 6, 2021), https://electionwatch.unimelb.edu.au/articles/mexicos-largest,-deadliest-and-most-polarised-election 52 Miriam Berger, Women in Mexico are protesting femicide. Police have responded with force., Wash. Post (Mar. 9, 2021), https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/03/09/womens-day-protests-amlo-mexico/ 15