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A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 9 SepteMber 2019

AP Explains: Why Mexican Women March Against Gender Violence

By AMY GUTHRIE
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexi-
can women are clamor-
ing for greater safety in
one of the most dangerous
countries in the world to
be a female, and vandal-
ism during recent protests
has prompted widespread
discussion about how best
to draw attention to what
many agree is a pressing is-
sue.
Hundreds plan to take
to the streets of Mexico
City again Sunday to de-
mand justice for women
who have been killed, kid-
napped and sexually as-
saulted. They will be led by
family members who have
lost loved ones.
They plan kick off the dem-
onstration with an art dis-
play using glitter at the
base of the Angel of Inde-
pendence statue, followed
by a silent march carrying
images of missing women
and girls.
Here’s a look at why they
march:
___
HOW SERIOUS IS THE PROB- In this March 8, 2019 file photo, Consuelo Salas holds up a pink cross marked with the name of her daughter Vitoria Pamela Salas,
LEM? who was killed in 2017 at age 23, as she calls for justice, in the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square, following a march.
The United Nations says Associated Press
that four of every 10 Mexi- creasingly boiling over at ties decided not to press ___ posed sexual innocence.
can women will experi- what they see as impunity charges for destruction of WHAT HAVE AUTHORITIES Sentences for molesting
ence sexual violence, such for rapists and murderers. public property. DONE? minors may be extended
as unwanted groping or A string of demonstrations ___ Mexico has improved its le- if the abuser was a person
rape, during their lifetimes, decrying violence against HOW DO WOMEN FEEL? gal framework over recent of confidence, such as a
and that nine women are women has taken place A 2018 government survey decades to better protect teacher or a stepfather.
murdered on average ev- across the country since said 80% of women in Mex- women and girls. Since 2011, murders of
ery day in the country. reports in August that au- ico don’t feel safe. Sexual The congress passed a women that carry tinges of
And that’s just what can thorities in the capital were harassment and assault is constitutional amendment gender hate, such as geni-
be documented, says shrugging off accusations so common on public trans- this year that allows for pre- tal mutilation, come with
Ramón Ramos, a lawyer that police officers had portation that the Mexico ventive detention for those a minimum sentence of 25
and former deputy minister raped two minors. Demon- City subway reserves two who are accused of do- years in prison, compared
for public safety in Mexico strations in the capital be- cars on every train exclu- mestic violence for a sec- to 20 years for regular ho-
City. came known as the “glit- sively for women. ond time. micides.
“Violence against women ter” protests after women Experts blame macho at- Sentences for domestic vi- ___
is one of the biggest prob- doused the Mexico City titudes about the roles of olence verdicts depend on WHAT MORE CAN BE DONE?
lems in Mexico,” says Ra- police chief with pink glit- women, combined with the severity of the injuries. Activists would like to see
mos, who plans to join the ter. deterioration in social val- For instance, the infliction more women take stands
march Sunday. At one protest, dozens of ues, for the widespread of a bruise or a broken against their abusers. Too
According to the civil orga- women trashed a Mexico violence. bone that takes more than often, women drop abuse
nization Mexicans United City bus station, defaced Activists also say the pro- 15 days, but less than 70 complaints against their
Against Crime, an estimat- the Angel of Indepen- cess of reporting a crime is days, to heal may be pun- husbands and boyfriends,
ed 90% of crimes go unre- dence monument with often painful, with lengthy ished with a sentence of activists say.
ported in Mexico. Many spray paint and set a po- declarations and hours of six months to two years in But Ramos says the biggest
victims see it as a futile ex- lice station ablaze dur- questioning for the accus- jail, whereas causing life- issue is that the laws are not
ercise. Solving crime is the ing an August protest. The ers. They say the judicial threatening injuries could often applied. Official com-
exception rather than the damage to the monument process is plagued by vic- result in up to eight years of placency and ineptitude
rule in Mexico, with only angered many people, tim-blaming. Women who incarceration. breed widespread infrac-
one of every 10 reported but the protesters argued are sexually assaulted may Rape carries a minimum tions because perpetrators
crimes resulting in jail time. that the vandalism was a be shamed for having worn sentence of six years, re- don’t fear reprisal, he says.
___ means to demand action revealing clothes, while gardless of a woman’s per- “If one doesn’t respect au-
HOW HAVE WOMEN REACT- for a dire situation, saying dead women are some- ceived chastity. As recently thority, he’s even less likely
ED? a little paint is nothing com- times dismissed as care- as 2002, rape sentences to respect a vulnerable
Mexican women are fed pared to a life destroyed less partyers or girlfriends of varied in length, depend- person like a woman,” Ra-
up, and their anger is in- by violence. City authori- criminals. ing on a woman’s sup- mos says.q