The recent groping incident involving Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's first female president, has ignited widespread outrage among women across the country. Many women felt a deep connection to her experience, seeing their own fears and traumas reflected in her plight. “If the president suffered assault with that level of protection and those guards, it means that all of us women can be assaulted at any moment,” stated Patricia Reyes, a 20-year-old student who expressed her concerns.
The incident occurred on Tuesday in Mexico City while Sheinbaum was navigating through a crowd. A drunken man attempted to kiss her on the neck and embrace her from behind. Fortunately, Sheinbaum managed to remove his hands before an aide intervened. Following the incident, the man was arrested, and Sheinbaum announced on Wednesday that she would be pressing charges. “This is something I experienced as a woman, but it is something that all women in our country experience,” she emphasized during her daily press conference. “If I don’t file a complaint, where does that leave all Mexican women? If they do this to the president, what happens to all the other women in the country?”
For numerous women, witnessing the groping of Sheinbaum was more than just a news story; it was a personal affront. “It was really humiliating,” shared María Antonieta De la Rosa, a feminist activist and artist. “I felt angry, enraged, and impotent.” This incident has sparked significant conversation, particularly in light of the alarming levels of violence that women face in Mexico, where an average of ten women are murdered daily. In the first half of the year alone, over 500 women were victims of femicide, a crime rooted in gender violence.
“The issue of assault is like the base level on the violence thermometer and it culminates in femicide,” explained De la Rosa. “So living in a femicidal country, the issue of assault is always there.” The escalating rates of violence against women have fueled the feminist movement in Mexico, with tens of thousands of women taking to the streets annually on International Women’s Day to demand change.
The groping incident has drawn condemnation from various political factions. “The president lived what thousands of women experience on the street, out in public, at work,” remarked Patricia Mercado, a congresswoman from the opposition Citizens’ Movement party. “This assault, this touching that is so invasive of our bodies as women.” In a show of solidarity, senators from multiple parties held a press conference on Wednesday to denounce the assault against Sheinbaum. “If this happens to the head of state, to our supreme commander, to our president of the republic, it also happens silently every day to thousands of women in our country,” stated Alejandra Arias, a senator from Sheinbaum’s governing party, Morena.
The dangers women face in Mexico are underscored by real-life experiences. Alicia Gutiérrez, a 40-year-old nurse, shared her apprehensions about using public transport, recounting an incident where a man started fondling himself in front of her on a bus. “I try not to get on public transport that’s too full or always sit next to a woman,” she said. Gutiérrez expressed her indignation regarding the incident involving Sheinbaum, stating, “If being president she was touched in that way, what hope is there for us common folk?”
The incident has prompted female politicians to pledge action to enhance protections for women against assault. “The crime committed yesterday against the president of Mexico not only violated her safety, integrity, and dignity, it is called sexual abuse and must be considered a serious crime throughout the country,” asserted Laura Itzel Castillo, another senator from Morena. “In the coming days, we will meet with the equality commissions across the country to review our legislative agendas and make significant progress in the prevention, response to, and punishment of all forms of violence against women.”
However, not all political figures have shown support. Alejandro Moreno, head of the opposition PRI party, suggested that the incident might have been staged to divert public attention from issues related to cartel violence. “It’s the biggest distraction; it’s crude, vile, and hypocritical,” he claimed. De la Rosa criticized this stance, arguing that such accusations “revictimized” Sheinbaum by undermining the credibility of the victim’s experience.
As discussions surrounding the incident continue, Sofia Landa, a house cleaner, emphasized the necessity for accountability. “Many women suffer this,” she remarked. “Sheinbaum has the power to deliver justice.” The collective outcry following this incident reflects a growing demand for change and underscores the urgent need to address the pervasive issue of violence against women in Mexico.
