plans, to confront the many forms of violence that had proven difficult to address through the criminal justice system. Domestic violence, for instance, can be experienced by anyone, but its gendered manifestations are now more thoroughly examined. New laws also respond to sexual violence in public spaces, which Dr. Incháustegui said has become increasingly explicit in recent years. Moreover, the legal frameworks in 11 countries3 now recognize the crime of femicide. As a final example, a number of countries in the Americas have criminalized marital rape, long ignored or even condoned by the law.
Dr. Incháustegui next reviewed specific progress made in Mexico such as affirmative action, gender responsive budgeting, and constitutional reform. She highlighted three pieces of legislation that have oriented public policies over the past years: the General Law on Women’s Access
Report on the Annual Gathering of the Group of Women Parliamentarians
EXPERIENCES PROMOTING LEGISLATION AND PROGRAMS BENEFITING WOMEN
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Guest Speaker: Dr. Teresa Incháustegui Romero
Dr. Incháustegui earned a BA in sociology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and a PhD in social sciences from the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO). She has taught at prestigious academic institutions, and she is currently a professor and researcher in the Humanities and Social Sciences postgraduate program of the UNAM. She was a member of the federal Chamber of Deputies for Mexico's 61st Legislature, where she was president of the Commission to Monitor Femicides, secretary of Public Security, and member of both the Commission on Equality and Gender, and the Commission on Governance. As a public servant, she founded and directed the Centre of Studies for the Advancement of Women and Gender Equality of the Chamber of Deputies, and held several high level positions at the National Women’s Institute of Mexico. She has authored more than three dozen articles published in books and university magazines.