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Male chauvinism in Mexico is so pervasive that not one the president is safe,” declared a professor and feminist, expressing a sentiment echoed by numerous women throughout the country. This comes after a viral video showed a drunk man molesting the country’s first female president as she strolled from the presidential residence to the education ministry. The president, who has pressed charges against the assailant, remarked at a media conference: “When this happens to the leader, what happens to all the other women in the country?”

Historic Situation Highlights on Widespread Sexual Harassment

Sheinbaum’s unprecedented position has turned this into a teaching moment in a culture where sexual harassment and assault on streets and buses and trains are frequently normalized and dismissed. Meanwhile, political opponents have alleged the incident was orchestrated to divert attention from the recent assassination of a city leader, Carlos Manzo. However, the majority of women know that gender-based aggression doesn’t need manufactured—studies indicate that 50% of Mexican women have experienced it at one time or another in their lifetimes.

Navigating Accessibility and Security

Sheinbaum, similar to her preceding leader, is recognized for mixing with the public, greeting people, and taking photos. It was during one such encounter that she was assaulted. “This is a fragile equilibrium between ensuring security and being close to the public,” explained Ishtar Cardona. For a woman leader, it’s a sobering realization that you often face no-win situations.

“For people raised in a deeply conservative manner where patriarchal structure are normalized, a female leader such as the president, who is a scientist and a progressive, embodies everything traditional males in the country despise,” the sociologist explained.

Common Stories of Violation and Resistance

Sexual assault is not limited to this nation, of course. Discussing the leader’s experience unleashed a wave of memories and exchanged stories among women. As the expert spoke about advising her students to react when assaulted, she learned about firsthand incidents, such as a case where a woman was assaulted on two occasions during a religious pilgrimage. In a similar vein, accounts of resisting—like beating up a assailant in a nightspot—highlight a growing worldwide movement of women rejecting to remain passive.

Shattering Silence and Channeling Outrage

Perhaps this event will mark a turning point for Mexican women. “We have been breaking the taboo, but it’s incredibly difficult,” Cardona remarked. “Many women feel embarrassed, but today we can discuss it with more freedom.” The expert routinely shares with her class the precautions she takes when leaving home, such as thinking about clothing to prevent unwanted advances. And she poses a question to her male pupils: “Have you ever considered about that?” Their response is invariably no.

Now, after the leader’s violation captured on film and viewed globally, will men in Mexico begin to reconsider? The sociologist encourages everyone: “You have to harness the outrage!”

One thing is clear: Those who resist make their assailants remember.