🔗 Share this article

Male chauvinism in the nation is so deeply rooted that not one the president is protected,” declared Caterina Camastra, expressing a sentiment shared by many women throughout the country. This comes after a widely circulated footage showed a drunk man groping the country’s first female president as she walked from the National Palace to the department of education. Sheinbaum, who has pressed charges against the assailant, commented at a press briefing: “When this happens to the leader, what occurs to all the other women in the country?”

Unprecedented Position Sheds Light on Pervasive Sexual Harassment

The president’s unprecedented role has turned this into a teaching moment in a culture where unwanted advances and assault on public spaces and buses and trains are often normalized and dismissed. At the same time, political opponents have claimed the assault was staged to shift focus from the recent assassination of a city leader, a critic of organized crime. Yet, the majority of women know that sexual violence need not be staged—studies indicate that half of Mexican women have faced it at one time or another in their lifetimes.

Balancing Accessibility and Safety

Sheinbaum, like her predecessor, is recognized for wading into crowds, shaking hands, and taking photos. She was one such encounter that she was assaulted. “This is a fragile balance between ensuring security and maintaining proximity to the people,” explained Ishtar Cardona. For a female president, it’s a sobering realization that you often can’t win.

Those brought up in a very traditional manner where patriarchal structure are normalized, a female leader like Sheinbaum, who is a academic and a leftist, embodies all that macho men in the country hate,” Cardona explained.

Common Stories of Assault and Fighting Back

Gender-based violence is not unique to Mexico, naturally. Discussing the leader’s experience unleashed a wave of memories and shared stories among female individuals. When the expert mentioned urging her pupils not to freeze when groped, she learned about firsthand experiences, such as one where a woman was violated on two occasions during a religious pilgrimage. In a similar vein, stories of resisting—like physically confronting a assailant in a nightspot—underscore a increasing global trend of women rejecting to remain passive.

Shattering Silence and Channeling Anger

Maybe this incident will mark a critical moment for women across Mexico. “For about a decade, we’ve been challenging the silence, but it’s incredibly difficult,” the sociologist stated. “Many women feel embarrassed, but today we are able to talk about it with greater openness.” She routinely discusses with her students the precautions she employs when going out, such as thinking about clothing to avoid unwanted advances. And she poses 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 film and seen globally, can Mexican men start to think differently? The sociologist urges everyone: “You have to harness the anger!”

One thing is clear: The individuals who resist make their assailants remember.