🔗 Share this article

“Machismo in Mexico is so pervasive that not one the president is protected,” stated a professor and feminist, expressing a feeling shared by many women throughout the country. This follows after a viral video showed a intoxicated man groping the country’s first female president as she strolled from the National Palace to the education ministry. The president, who has pressed charges against the assailant, commented at a press briefing: “If they do this to the leader, what occurs to all the other women in the country?”

Unprecedented Situation Highlights on Widespread Gender-Based Violence

The president’s unprecedented role has turned this into a teaching moment in a society where unwanted advances and physical violation on streets and public transport are often accepted and dismissed. At the same time, rival factions have claimed the assault was orchestrated to divert attention from the recently murder of a local mayor, a critic of organized crime. However, the majority of women know that gender-based aggression doesn’t need manufactured—studies indicate that half of women in Mexico have faced it at some point in their lives.

Navigating Public Engagement and Safety

The president, like her preceding leader, is recognized for mixing with the public, shaking hands, and posing for selfies. It was during one such interaction that she was groped. “It’s a delicate balance between ensuring security and maintaining proximity to the public,” explained Ishtar Cardona. For a woman leader, it’s a stark reminder that frequently can’t win.

Those raised in a deeply conservative way where male-dominated systems are accepted, a female leader like Sheinbaum, who is a academic and a leftist, represents all that traditional males in Mexico despise,” Cardona elaborated.

Shared Experiences of Assault and Resistance

Sexual assault is not unique to this nation, of course. Discussing the president’s experience opened a flood of memories and exchanged stories among women. When Cardona spoke about advising her pupils to react when assaulted, she learned about personal experiences, such as one where a individual was violated on two occasions during a holy journey. Similarly, accounts of resisting—like beating up a groper in a nightspot—highlight a increasing global trend of females rejecting to remain passive.

Breaking Silence and Embracing Outrage

Maybe this event will represent a turning point for Mexican women. “We have been challenging the taboo, but it’s incredibly difficult,” Cardona stated. “A lot of women are embarrassed, but today we can discuss it with greater openness.” The expert routinely shares with her students the measures she takes when going out, such as considering attire to prevent unwanted advances. She asks a question to her male students: “Did you ever thought about that?” Their response is invariably no.

Now, after the leader’s assault captured on video and seen worldwide, will Mexican men start to think differently? Cardona urges everyone: “It’s essential to embrace the anger!”

One thing is clear: Those who fight back make their assailants remember.