Publicado el 13 Marzo 2026
One Step Further Against Impunity: PM Holds 2nd International Congress on Violence Against Women, Missing Women, and Femicide
For years, thousands of women in Guatemala have raised their voices to report violence, disappearances, and assaults, not only affecting their lives but challenging the State’s ability to guarantee justice.
In response, the Public Ministry promotes spaces for reflection, training, and international cooperation to strengthen investigations of these crimes and improve victim support.
With this purpose, the institution held the II International Legal Congress on Violence Against Women, Missing Women, and Femicide on March 11–12, 2026, in Guatemala City, organized by the PM’s Women’s Secretariat in coordination with the Training Unit (Unicap).
This event brought together prosecutors, criminal analysts, investigators, and national and international experts, sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices aimed at strengthening the criminal prosecution of gender-based violence, femicide, and missing women cases.
Through keynote lectures, analysis panels, and technical dialogue, the congress seeks to expand prosecutors’ tools to investigate these crimes more effectively, incorporating human rights standards, gender perspectives, and intersectionality.
By the Numbers
Violence against women remains one of the most complex and persistent criminal phenomena, representing a serious violation of human rights that affects women and girls throughout their lives.
In response, the PM continually strengthens its institutional capacity to ensure diligent investigations, comprehensive victim support, and effective access to justice.
Statistics highlight the scale of the problem: in 2025, the PM received:
- 25,105 reports of violence against women
- 232 femicide reports
- 1,739 alerts for missing women, of which 1,602 were resolved, representing 12% effectiveness
These numbers reinforce the need to continue training prosecutors, improving investigative mechanisms, and expanding specialized services, so that every woman who reports a crime receives an effective institutional response.
Through initiatives like this congress, the Public Ministry reaffirms its commitment to combating gender-based violence, strengthening criminal investigations, and guaranteeing justice for women in Guatemala.
Guatemala City, March 12, 2026