In Sonora, Mexico, progress is being made toward a consent-based legal reform

In Sonora, Mexico, criminal legislation still does not guarantee effective justice for adolescent survivors of sexual violence. To promote a reform that places consent at the centre, Equality Now, in alliance with EnIgualdad A.C., and together with ReDefine, HeForShe Sonora and Jurídicas Feministas A.C., carried out a series of activities in August 2025 that helped pave the way for legal change.

Consent and access to justice

International human rights standards establish that sexual violence crimes must be defined based on the absence of free and voluntary consent, rather than on the use of force. They also recognise the many forms of coercion that nullify or impair that consent.

These standards further call for the elimination of the discriminatory provision of estupro, still present in some legislations, and for full protection of adolescents so that coercive practices such as deception, seduction, and intimidation are recognised as rape and not treated as lesser crimes.

Without this framework, survivors, especially girls and adolescents, face serious obstacles to accessing justice. In Sonora, as in many other states in Mexico and across Latin America and the Caribbean, the lack of legal clarity on consent has allowed perpetrators to evade criminal responsibility, perpetuating impunity and re-victimisation.

Laying the groundwork for reform

Legal reform in Sonora is an opportunity to align local legislation with these international standards, ensuring that the voices and rights of survivors are placed at the centre.

Equality Now and partners organised a training session for parliamentary technical teams and youth organisations, providing practical tools to apply the consent standard in the interpretation of sexual violence crimes. The following day, they organised a public forum in the Sonora State Congress, which brought together legislators, academics, feminist collectives, and representatives of international organisations. This inclusive space enabled discussion of reform proposals, the building of political commitments, and an open debate on the urgent need to update criminal legislation and effectively protect girls and adolescents from sexual violence.

These collective efforts laid the foundation for the presentation, on September 17, before the plenary of the Sonora State Congress, of a bill to reform the Penal Code that incorporates the debate on sexual consent. The proposal represents a key step toward compliance with international standards for the protection of the rights of girls and adolescents.

A call to keep moving forward

Together with our local partner EnIgualdad, Equality Now welcomes the inclusion of consent on the legislative agenda in Sonora, Mexico. Ensuring a strong reform that effectively protects children and adolescent survivors of sexual violence requires recognising the sustained work of civil society and maintaining open spaces for dialogue and participation so their proposals can be incorporated.

We will continue to support these efforts so that Sonora has legislation that places consent at the centre of sexual violence crimes, complies with the highest international human rights standards, and ensures real and effective access to justice for girls, boys, and adolescents.

Mexico is a federal country, which means that each of its 32 states has its own penal code in addition to the Federal Penal Code. We hope that experiences like this can be replicated in other states, building alliances and shared learning so that the 32 state codes and the federal code are harmonized with international human rights standards and place consent at the center of criminal legislation.