Militarization and violence against women in Mexico: analyzing space, time and capital

Daniela Philipson García; Jacqui True

doi:10.1093/sp/jxag039

Militarization and violence against women in Mexico: analyzing space, time and capital

Daniela Philipson García
, Jacqui True

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

How does militarization impact women’s experiences of violence in Mexico’s war on drugs? Utilising feminist political economy analysis, and based on extensive interviews with feminist civil society, grassroots activists, and security professionals, this paper identifies the mechanisms through which militarization compounds violence against women across three interrelated dimensions: space, time, and capital. We argue that militarization entrenches the division between the public and the private, reproducing gender stereotypes. Moreover, we find the state’s prioritization of military action devalues social reproduction and tacitly outsources time-intensive practices to women, leading to depletion. Militarization also produces gendered harms that especially marginalize rural and Indigenous women by diverting capital away from essential social infrastructure and facilitating resource extractivism that degrades the environment and displaces local communities.

Original language	English
Number of pages	25
Journal	Social Politics
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxag039
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 2026

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Access to Document

10.1093/sp/jxag039Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
True, J. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Carlson, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Douglas, H. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Davies, S. E. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Fisher, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Humphreys, C. F. (Chief Investigator (CI)), O'Leary, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wendt, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), D'Costa, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mavisakalyan, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mavisakalyan, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Flynn, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wilson, D. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Kidman, J. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Tolmie, J. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Naepi, S. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Wood, E. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Goodmark, L. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Anderson, S. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Kotsadam, A. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Marddent, A. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Eddyono, S. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Olsson, M.-L. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Cripps, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Mataia-Milo, L. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Crookes, A. (Partner Investigator (PI)), Maitra, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Tran, H. (Chief Investigator (CI))
ARC - Australian Research Council, University of Melbourne, Australian National University (ANU), Griffith University, Curtin University, Macquarie University, Monash University – Internal Faculty Contribution, Office of the eSafety Commissioner, Asia Foundation, Respect Victoria, ActionAid Australia, Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety Limited (ANROWS), Safe and Equal Inc (trading as Domestic Violence Victoria (DV Vic) Incorporated, No To Violence, Our Watch Limited, Western Australian Council of Social Services Inc, Domestic Violence NSW Inc, Wesnet (Women's Services Network) Incorporated, Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration, SMERU Research Institute, Black Rainbow, Gaston Zavalla Ortigas Peace Institute, UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund (Headquarters), Thammasat University, Lunivesite Aoao o Samoa (National University of Samoa), University of the South Pacific, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Gadjah Mada University), Peace Research Institute (PRIO), Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research, Auckland University of Technology, Research and Training Center for Community Development (RTCCD), University of Auckland, University of British Columbia, University of Maryland Baltimore , Victoria University of Wellington, Yale University, Australian Institute of Women Judges, Kornar Winmil Yunti Aboriginal Corporation, Women's Safety Services SA Incorporated, DVConnect Limited, Koorie Women Mean Business Incorporated, National Indigenous Australians Agency, Breaking Silent Codes Network Incorporated, Department of Social Services (DSS) (Australia) , National Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research Ltd (trading as The Lowitja Institute), Fiji Women's Rights Movement, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) (Australia), Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of New South Wales (AH&MRC), Raoul Wallenberg Institute
1/01/24 → 31/12/30
Project: Research

Cite this

@article{e97af46fcc6f44ba99c9916ec59703ca,

title = "Militarization and violence against women in Mexico: analyzing space, time and capital",

abstract = "How does militarization impact women{\textquoteright}s experiences of violence in Mexico{\textquoteright}s war on drugs? Utilising feminist political economy analysis, and based on extensive interviews with feminist civil society, grassroots activists, and security professionals, this paper identifies the mechanisms through which militarization compounds violence against women across three interrelated dimensions: space, time, and capital. We argue that militarization entrenches the division between the public and the private, reproducing gender stereotypes. Moreover, we find the state{\textquoteright}s prioritization of military action devalues social reproduction and tacitly outsources time-intensive practices to women, leading to depletion. Militarization also produces gendered harms that especially marginalize rural and Indigenous women by diverting capital away from essential social infrastructure and facilitating resource extractivism that degrades the environment and displaces local communities.",

author = "\{Philipson Garc{\'i}a\}, Daniela and Jacqui True",

year = "2026",

doi = "10.1093/sp/jxag039",

language = "English",

journal = "Social Politics",

issn = "1072-4745",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Militarization and violence against women in Mexico

T2 - analyzing space, time and capital

AU - Philipson García, Daniela

AU - True, Jacqui

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - How does militarization impact women’s experiences of violence in Mexico’s war on drugs? Utilising feminist political economy analysis, and based on extensive interviews with feminist civil society, grassroots activists, and security professionals, this paper identifies the mechanisms through which militarization compounds violence against women across three interrelated dimensions: space, time, and capital. We argue that militarization entrenches the division between the public and the private, reproducing gender stereotypes. Moreover, we find the state’s prioritization of military action devalues social reproduction and tacitly outsources time-intensive practices to women, leading to depletion. Militarization also produces gendered harms that especially marginalize rural and Indigenous women by diverting capital away from essential social infrastructure and facilitating resource extractivism that degrades the environment and displaces local communities.

AB - How does militarization impact women’s experiences of violence in Mexico’s war on drugs? Utilising feminist political economy analysis, and based on extensive interviews with feminist civil society, grassroots activists, and security professionals, this paper identifies the mechanisms through which militarization compounds violence against women across three interrelated dimensions: space, time, and capital. We argue that militarization entrenches the division between the public and the private, reproducing gender stereotypes. Moreover, we find the state’s prioritization of military action devalues social reproduction and tacitly outsources time-intensive practices to women, leading to depletion. Militarization also produces gendered harms that especially marginalize rural and Indigenous women by diverting capital away from essential social infrastructure and facilitating resource extractivism that degrades the environment and displaces local communities.

U2 - 10.1093/sp/jxag039

DO - 10.1093/sp/jxag039

M3 - Article

SN - 1072-4745

JO - Social Politics

JF - Social Politics

ER -

Militarization and violence against women in Mexico: analyzing space, time and capital

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Projects

ARC Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Cite this