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“Machismo in Mexico is so deeply rooted that not one the head of state is protected,” stated a professor and feminist, expressing a sentiment echoed by many women across the country. This follows after a widely circulated footage showed a intoxicated man molesting the country’s first female president as she strolled from the National Palace to the department of education. The president, who has filed a complaint against the perpetrator, commented at a media conference: “When this happens to the president, what happens to every other women in the nation?”

Historic Situation Sheds Light on Widespread Sexual Harassment

Sheinbaum’s unprecedented role has made this a teaching moment in a culture where sexual harassment and assault on streets and buses and trains are frequently accepted and not taken seriously. At the same time, rival factions have claimed the incident was staged to shift focus from the recent assassination of a local mayor, Carlos Manzo. However, the majority of women know that gender-based aggression doesn’t need manufactured—research indicate that 50% of Mexican women have experienced it at some point in their lifetimes.

Navigating Public Engagement and Safety

Sheinbaum, similar to her predecessor, is recognized for wading into crowds, shaking hands, and taking photos. She was one such interaction that she was assaulted. “This is a delicate balance between being safe and being close to the people,” explained a sociologist specializing in cultural studies. For a female president, it’s a sobering realization that frequently face no-win situations.

Those raised in a deeply conservative way where patriarchal structure are accepted, a woman such as the president, who is a scientist and a leftist, embodies everything macho men in Mexico hate,” Cardona elaborated.

Common Stories of Violation and Fighting Back

Gender-based violence is not limited to this nation, of course. Talking about the president’s ordeal opened a flood of memories and exchanged accounts among female individuals. As the expert mentioned advising her students not to freeze when groped, she heard about firsthand incidents, such as one where a individual was assaulted on two occasions during a holy journey. Similarly, accounts of resisting—like beating up a assailant in a club—underscore a growing global trend of women rejecting to stay silent.

Breaking Silence and Embracing Outrage

Maybe this event will mark a critical moment for Mexican women. “For about a decade, we’ve been challenging the silence, but it’s very tough,” the sociologist stated. “A lot of women are ashamed, but now we can discuss it with greater openness.” The expert often shares with her students the measures she employs when leaving home, such as thinking about clothing to avoid harassment. She asks a question to her male students: “Did you ever thought about that?” Their response is always no.

Now, with the president’s assault captured on film and viewed worldwide, will men in Mexico begin to think differently? The sociologist encourages all: “You have to harness the anger!”

A key point is evident: The individuals who resist leave a lasting impression.