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“Machismo in the nation is so pervasive that not even the president is protected,” stated Caterina Camastra, expressing a sentiment echoed by many women across the country. This comes after a widely circulated footage showed a drunk man groping the country’s first female president as she strolled from the National Palace to the education ministry. Sheinbaum, who has filed a complaint against the assailant, remarked at a media conference: “When this happens to the president, what happens to every other women in the country?”

Unprecedented Position Sheds Light on Widespread Sexual Harassment

The president’s unprecedented role has made this a teaching moment in a culture where sexual harassment and assault on public spaces and public transport are frequently accepted and dismissed. At the same time, rival factions have alleged the assault was orchestrated to divert attention from the recently assassination of a city leader, a critic of organized crime. Yet, the majority of women know that gender-based aggression doesn’t need manufactured—studies indicate that half of women in Mexico have faced it at one time or another in their lives.

Balancing Accessibility and Security

The president, similar to her predecessor, is known for mixing with the public, shaking hands, and posing for selfies. It was during one such encounter that she was assaulted. “This is a fragile balance between ensuring security and maintaining proximity to the people,” explained Ishtar Cardona. As a woman leader, it’s a stark reminder that you often can’t win.

“For people brought up in a deeply conservative way where patriarchal structure are normalized, a woman such as the president, who is a academic and a leftist, represents all that macho men in the country despise,” Cardona explained.

Common Stories of Assault and Fighting Back

Sexual assault is not unique to Mexico, naturally. Talking about the leader’s ordeal unleashed a wave of memories and shared stories among women. When the expert spoke about advising her students to react when groped, she learned about firsthand experiences, such as one where a individual was assaulted on two occasions during a holy journey. Similarly, accounts of fighting back—like physically confronting a groper in a club—underscore a increasing global movement of women rejecting to stay silent.

Breaking Silence and Channeling Outrage

Perhaps this event will represent a turning point for women across Mexico. “For about a decade, we’ve been breaking the taboo, but it’s very tough,” Cardona stated. “Many women are ashamed, but today we can discuss it with more freedom.” The expert routinely shares with her students the precautions she employs when leaving home, such as considering clothing to prevent harassment. And she poses a question to her male students: “Have you ever considered about that?” The answer is always no.

Today, with the leader’s violation recorded on film and viewed worldwide, will men in Mexico begin to think differently? Cardona encourages everyone: “It’s essential to harness the anger!”

A key point is clear: The individuals who resist make their assailants remember.