Activists on Wednesday hailed the Mexican federal government's first-ever "gender alert," declared for a central state in response to a high incidence of killings and disappearances of women. The Interior Department alert covers 11 municipalities in the State of Mexico, outside the capital, and cites "systematic violence against women" and "an atmosphere of impunity and permissiveness" toward such crimes. The "gender alert" triggers measures designed to spur investigation and prevention, though none have officially been announced. The mechanism has been on the books since 2007, but un