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Male chauvinism in Mexico is so deeply rooted that not one the president is protected,” declared Caterina Camastra, expressing a sentiment echoed by numerous women throughout the nation. This follows 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 filed a complaint against the perpetrator, remarked at a media conference: “If they do this to the president, what happens to all the other women in the nation?”

Historic Situation Highlights on Widespread Sexual Harassment

Sheinbaum’s historic position has turned this into a learning opportunity in a society where sexual harassment and physical violation on streets and public transport are frequently normalized and not taken seriously. At the same time, rival factions have claimed the assault was orchestrated to divert attention from the recently murder of a city leader, a critic of organized crime. Yet, most women understand that gender-based aggression doesn’t need staged—research indicate that half of Mexican women have experienced it at one time or another in their lives.

Balancing Public Engagement and Security

The president, like her predecessor, is known for mixing with the public, shaking hands, and taking photos. It was during one such encounter that she was assaulted. “It’s a fragile equilibrium between ensuring security and maintaining proximity to the public,” noted Ishtar Cardona. For a female president, it’s a sobering realization that you often can’t win.

Those raised in a very traditional way where male-dominated systems are normalized, a woman like Sheinbaum, who is a scientist and a progressive, represents all that traditional males in the country hate,” Cardona explained.

Shared Stories of Violation and Resistance

Sexual assault is not limited to Mexico, naturally. Discussing the leader’s experience opened a wave of memories and exchanged accounts among women. When Cardona mentioned urging her students not to freeze when groped, she heard about firsthand experiences, such as one where a individual was assaulted on two occasions during a holy journey. Similarly, stories of resisting—like beating up a assailant in a nightspot—underscore a increasing global movement of women refusing to stay silent.

Breaking Silence and Embracing Anger

Perhaps this event will mark a turning point for women across Mexico. “For about a decade, we’ve been breaking the taboo, but it’s incredibly difficult,” the sociologist stated. “Many women feel ashamed, but today we can discuss it with greater openness.” The expert routinely shares with her class the measures she employs when going out, such as thinking about attire to avoid harassment. She asks a question to her male students: “Did you ever thought about that?” The answer is invariably no.

Now, after the leader’s assault captured on video and seen globally, can Mexican men start to reconsider? Cardona urges all: “You have to embrace the outrage!”

A key point is evident: Those who fight back leave a lasting impression.