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Male chauvinism in the nation is so deeply rooted that not one the head of state is safe,” stated a professor and feminist, expressing a feeling echoed by many women across the nation. This comes after a viral video showed a intoxicated man groping the country’s first female president as she walked from the presidential residence to the department of education. The president, who has pressed charges against the perpetrator, commented at a press briefing: “If they do this to the president, what occurs to every other women in the nation?”

Unprecedented Situation Sheds Light on Widespread Gender-Based Violence

The president’s unprecedented role has made this a learning opportunity in a culture where unwanted advances and physical violation on public spaces and buses and trains are frequently normalized and dismissed. At the same time, political opponents have claimed the incident was orchestrated to shift focus from the recent murder of a city leader, a critic of organized crime. However, most women understand that sexual violence need not be manufactured—research indicate that 50% of Mexican women have faced it at one time or another in their lifetimes.

Navigating Accessibility and Safety

Sheinbaum, similar to her preceding leader, is recognized for mixing with the public, greeting people, and taking photos. She was one such interaction that she was groped. “It’s a fragile balance between being safe and being close to the public,” noted Ishtar Cardona. For a woman leader, it’s a stark realization that you often can’t win.

Those brought up in a deeply conservative way where male-dominated systems are normalized, a female leader like Sheinbaum, who is a academic and a progressive, embodies everything traditional males in the country hate,” the sociologist elaborated.

Shared Stories of Assault and Fighting Back

Gender-based violence is not unique to Mexico, naturally. Discussing the leader’s experience opened a flood of memories and shared accounts among women. When the expert mentioned advising her students to react when assaulted, she learned about firsthand incidents, such as one where a individual was assaulted on two occasions during a religious pilgrimage. In a similar vein, stories of resisting—like beating up a assailant in a nightspot—highlight a increasing worldwide movement of females rejecting to remain passive.

Breaking Silence and Channeling Anger

Maybe this incident will represent a critical moment for women across Mexico. “For about a decade, we’ve been challenging the silence, but it’s incredibly difficult,” Cardona stated. “A lot of women are embarrassed, but now we can discuss it with greater openness.” She often discusses with her students the measures she employs when going out, such as considering attire to prevent harassment. She asks a question to her male students: “Have you ever considered about that?” Their response is invariably no.

Today, after the leader’s violation captured on film and viewed globally, can Mexican men begin to think differently? Cardona urges all: “It’s essential to embrace the anger!”

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