A Hashtag That Brought Awareness of Sexual Violence in Mexico
Is a hashtag enough to unite women over a painful past?
On April 24, 2016, thousands of women united together to protest sexual harassment known as machista-patriarchal violence in Mexico. “In Mexico, every day 7 women are murdered. Every day you hear or read in the news about disappeared, murdered, kidnapped, beaten, harassed, and raped women. This sexist (patriarchal) violence is lived through the everyday lives of women” (Latino Rebels). As a result, women were frustrated about being victimized by male counterparts and demanded social change. A protest to address this gender specific crime inflicted on women began on social media with hashtags like “#24A, VivasNosQueremos (WeWantOurselvesAlive), #PrimaveraVioleta (PurpleSpring), and #MiPimerAcosos (MyFirstHarassment)”. The posts on Twitter and Facebook illustrated the stories of hundreds of women being sexually assaulted in their homes by family members, friends, and even in public; it showed how many sexual assault stories go unnoticed or unreported. Reports show that in Mexico, 63% of women report being a victim of a sexual crime; however, 94% of crimes go unsolved (Pskowski). Although the movement began on social media, it gained a plethora of momentum following the march.
Mexican women from across the country were joined by young women, children and older women to fight against this injustice, and to bring recognition to sex crime. At the end of the march, groups of men could join in. It was a purple frenzy to, “denounce the naturalized violence” which was plaguing woman in Mexico, and attracted a huge show of support. They marched for women who were deceased and too afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation. It was an act of bravery for women to share their personal tales of violence. It takes strength and courage to recall painful memories of sexual abuse and repurpose them to be used in a positive manner to bring about change in their society. These women uncovered their emotions and joined in solidarity to fight together. Sex crime is not specific to Mexican women, it affects women in other countries to include Native Americans, African-Americans, and Asian women inflicted by the dominating patriarchal system. Sadly, it includes young girls as well. This commonality joined women and created an uprising where they marched to bring awareness to the physical and emotional effects they experience from being sexually violated. Tired of being victimized, they took advantage of the opportunity to use social media as a vessel to share their stories in hopes of reaching women from around the world. Because of their posts, they were made aware of other women’s experiences in dealing with sexual abuse, which made them aware they were not alone. They shared ways to overcome the emotional difficulties of sexual crimes. It “gave women a sense of solidarity in a struggle they often feel they have to face alone. By sharing their stories, Mexican women challenged the normalization of gender violence and taboos against discussing sexist behavior” (Pskowski). Through social media access, it encouraged women to speak up about their experience with sexual harassment. It gives them a voice, for they are no longer silenced or ignored. Lastly, this movement demanded reform policies on how law enforcers approach sexual harassment crimes. Women had to go through psychological test, face backlash of being ridiculed, and ignored by the system.
In Marilyn Frye’s article “Oppression”, she analyzed the daily struggle women face from being oppressed by society and feeling paralyzed. Frye defines oppressed as to “restrict or prevent the thing’s motion or mobility. Mold. Immobilize. Reduce.” In this case of the sexual events in Mexico, women were being reduced to being sexual objects and not seen as human beings. Their bodies were used for sexual pleasure of others. Many women shared that they were stiff and immobilized when they felt themselves being touched. Victims of sexual harassment are trapped in a “double-bind”. If she is cheerful and happy, then it perceived as acceptance of her predicament. However, if a woman is upset and angry, she comes across as “difficult” and hard to work with which can be detrimental to her professional career. Frye furthers her claim of women always being caught between systemic pressures of a double-bind with an example from when women are raped. Frye argues if a woman was a virgin, then she liked being raped because she was “supposedly ‘repressed and frustrated’”. However, if she had sexual experience, then she liked being raped because she enjoys having sex. Overall, it is a lose-lose situation for women. They are systematically trapped by society, family members, ethnic groups, cultural norms, language, etc. Women are cornered and cannot make any moves without being judge from numerous different groups.
In my opinion, the women who shared their stories on social media are very brave. It takes a lot of strength to post something online that has deep, and painful roots despite the repercussions of making oneself vulnerable. Sharing with others about personal struggles can open the door for hate and isolation but surprisingly, in this case, it brought a large group of women together. This movement illustrates the benefits of social media. It is a passive aggressive method to share about one’s struggles which is easier than voicing it. The hashtags gave women strength and a voice. The social media platform was affective and they could reach many about their experience of sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of men.
