President Sheinbaum's Assault Sparks Global Condemnation
A shocking physical assault on Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico's president, has triggered widespread outrage both within the country and internationally. The incident occurred while Sheinbaum was engaging with citizens on the streets of Mexico City, where a drunken man attempted to kiss her neck and grabbed her chest.
This brazen attack, captured on camera, serves as a stark reminder that no woman is safe from sexual violence, regardless of her position or power. The president herself highlighted this disturbing reality, stating: "If they do this to the president, then what will happen to all the young women in our country?"
Mexico's Femicide Crisis and Global Patterns
The assault against President Sheinbaum occurs against a backdrop of alarming statistics about violence against women in Mexico. According to official 2021 figures, one in five girls and women in Mexico reported experiencing sexual violence in their communities within the previous year. Even more horrifying is the fact that ten women are murdered daily in the country.
However, this problem extends far beyond Mexico's borders. Surveys from both the United States and United Kingdom reveal that approximately four out of five women and two out of five men have experienced sexual harassment and assault. The targeting of high-profile women sends a deliberate message to all women that their accomplishments can be reduced to their physical bodies.
Female Leaders Facing Sexism Worldwide
The experience of President Sheinbaum reflects a global pattern of sexism faced by women in leadership positions. Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was described as "deliberately barren," while US Vice President Kamala Harris has long faced explicitly sexual rhetorical attacks.
In the UK, when then Prime Minister Theresa May met with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in 2017, the Daily Mail's front page infamously asked: "Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!" These examples demonstrate how female politicians confront both general political hostility and specific gender-based discrimination.
The Reykjavik Index for Leadership, which measures perceptions across G7 nations and Iceland, found last year that in the United States, less than half of respondents felt "very comfortable" with the idea of a female political leader.
Calls for Action and Political Response
President Sheinbaum has commendably pressed charges against her attacker and has called for sexual harassment to be criminalised nationwide across Mexico. Many Mexican states have yet to implement such legislation.
However, her record on women's issues has faced scrutiny. During her tenure as Mexico City mayor, police cracked down on feminists demonstrating against gender-based violence, with Sheinbaum referring to the protests as "provocations." Additionally, women's services have faced cuts under her administration.
Despite these contradictions, the assault presents an opportunity for meaningful change. Expanded social security programmes initiated under Sheinbaum's predecessor are already benefiting single mothers and other vulnerable women. There is now growing pressure for the president to fully embrace Mexico's energetic grassroots feminist movement and collaborate to tackle the deep-rooted problems of violence and misogyny affecting all women.
