“Machismo in the nation is so deeply rooted that not one the president is safe,” declared a professor and feminist, expressing a feeling echoed by numerous women across the country. This follows after a viral video 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 assailant, commented at a press briefing: “If they do this to the president, what happens to all the other women in the nation?”
Sheinbaum’s historic role has made this a teaching moment in a society where sexual harassment and assault on streets and buses and trains are frequently normalized and dismissed. Meanwhile, rival factions have alleged the incident was orchestrated to divert attention from the recent assassination of a city leader, a critic of organized crime. Yet, most women know that sexual violence doesn’t need staged—research indicate that 50% of women in Mexico have faced it at some point in their lifetimes.
The president, similar to her preceding leader, is known for wading into crowds, shaking hands, and posing for selfies. She was one such interaction that she was assaulted. “It’s a delicate balance between being safe and maintaining proximity to the people,” explained Ishtar Cardona. As a woman leader, it’s a stark reminder that frequently can’t win.
“For people raised in a very traditional manner where patriarchal structure are normalized, a female leader like Sheinbaum, who is a scientist and a progressive, embodies everything macho men in Mexico despise,” Cardona elaborated.
Gender-based violence is not unique to this nation, naturally. Talking about the president’s ordeal opened a flood of recollections and shared accounts among female individuals. When the expert spoke about advising her pupils not to freeze when groped, she heard about personal experiences, such as a case where a woman was assaulted on two occasions during a holy journey. In a similar vein, stories of fighting back—like beating up a assailant in a club—underscore a growing worldwide trend of females rejecting to remain passive.
Perhaps this incident will represent a critical moment for women across Mexico. “For about a decade, we’ve been breaking the taboo, but it’s incredibly difficult,” Cardona remarked. “Many women are ashamed, but now we are able to talk about it with greater openness.” The expert often discusses with her students the measures she employs when leaving home, such as considering clothing to prevent harassment. And she asks a question to her male students: “Have you ever considered about that?” Their response is invariably no.
Today, with the president’s assault recorded on film and seen globally, can men in Mexico start to reconsider? The sociologist urges everyone: “You have to harness the outrage!”
One thing is clear: Those who resist leave a lasting impression.
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