On a bustling Tuesday afternoon in Mexico City, the country’s first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, was addressing a crowd of supporters when an incident unfolded that would reverberate far beyond the capital’s streets. A man, reportedly intoxicated, approached Sheinbaum from behind, tried to kiss her neck, and grabbed her chest—an act of public groping that was swiftly captured on camera and ricocheted across social media. The man was quickly apprehended by security, but the damage was done: the episode thrust Mexico’s persistent epidemic of violence against women into the national and international spotlight, forcing a conversation that many felt was long overdue.
According to Reuters, the incident “underscored for many in Mexico the insecurity women face” in their daily lives, regardless of their status or power. The footage was more than just a viral moment; it was a stark, visual testament to the dangers and indignities women endure, even at the highest echelons of political life. As The Guardian reported, Mexican women saw their own experiences reflected in Sheinbaum’s ordeal, with many describing it as a “personal affront.” Patricia Reyes, a 20-year-old student, summed up the collective anxiety: “If the president suffered assault with that level of protection and those guards it means that all of us women can be assaulted at any moment.”
Sheinbaum, who was elected president in October 2024, responded with both resolve and candor. At a news conference the following day, she explained her decision to press charges against the man—not just for her own sake, but because he had allegedly harassed other women in the crowd. “My view is, if I don’t file a complaint, what will happen to other Mexican women?” she asked, adding, “If this happens to the president, where does that leave all the young women in our country? No man has the right to abuse women’s personal space.” Her words echoed across the country, resonating with a population all too familiar with gender-based violence.
The numbers are sobering. Mexico has one of the highest rates of femicide in the world. According to the Federal Security Secretariat, more than 500 women were killed because of their gender in the first seven months of 2025 alone. While this figure represents nearly 40% fewer deaths compared to the same period in 2024, the scale of the problem remains staggering. Al Jazeera noted that a “staggering 98% of gender-based murders” in Mexico go unpunished, and the BBC described femicide as a “huge problem” that continues to haunt the nation.
But the violence does not end with murder. Non-lethal violence against women—ranging from harassment to assault—remains rampant and, according to The New York Times, has “hardly budged” despite Sheinbaum’s promises to tackle the issue. Official figures from 2021 revealed that one in five girls and women in Mexico reported experiencing sexual violence in the community over the previous year. On average, ten women are killed each day due to gender-based violence, a figure that is both shocking and indicative of deeper, systemic problems.
For many, the fact that even the president is not immune to such indignities is proof of how entrenched machismo is in Mexican society. As The Week pointed out, the incident is evidence that “no woman is safe. You can be the most powerful person in the land and a man will still feel entitled to grope you, in front of the world, because you are a woman.” The sense of vulnerability isn’t limited to public figures. Those most at risk—undocumented migrants, women in precarious jobs, women with disabilities, LGBTQ women, and young girls—face even greater dangers, often with little recourse or protection.
The situation has also thrown a harsh light on Mexico’s patchwork of anti-sexual harassment laws. Out of 32 federal entities, only 16 currently criminalize sexual harassment. Recognizing the urgent need for reform, Sheinbaum on Thursday unveiled a new national initiative aimed at combating sexual abuse. The plan includes a push to make harassment punishable in every state, specialized education for prosecutors and judges on crimes against women, and a public campaign to encourage women to report such crimes. Sheinbaum called for unity, urging all states to come together “beyond politics…defending the integrity of Mexican women.”
This move has been broadly welcomed, though it does not come without criticism. Some activists and commentators have pointed out that during Sheinbaum’s tenure as mayor of Mexico City, her administration faced criticism for cracking down on feminist demonstrators protesting gender-based violence. She referred to such protests as “provocations,” and women’s services experienced budget cuts under her watch. While these actions have cast a shadow over her record on women’s rights, many agree that her recent stand against sexual harassment is significant and may mark a turning point.
Internationally, the incident has fueled discussions about the challenges faced by women in leadership roles. Sheinbaum, an accomplished environmental scientist and contributor to the Nobel peace prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is not alone in her experiences. Other female leaders, such as Australia’s Julia Gillard and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, have also faced explicit sexism and personal attacks. The Reykjavik Index for Leadership, which measures attitudes toward female leaders in the G7 and Iceland, found that less than half of U.S. respondents felt “very comfortable” with the idea of a woman in political leadership. The message is clear: even those at the top are not spared from the prejudices and dangers that women face daily.
Still, Sheinbaum’s willingness to press charges and push for nationwide legal reforms has been lauded as a necessary step forward. As one feminist activist, María Antonieta de la Rosa, told The Guardian, “The issue of assault is like the base level on the violence thermometer and it culminates in femicide. So living in a femicidal country, the issue of assault is always there.” The hope now is that Sheinbaum will seize this moment to work more closely with Mexico’s energetic grassroots feminist movement, channeling the outrage and solidarity sparked by her experience into meaningful change for all women.
In the days since the assault, the sense of urgency has only grown. Rights groups and ordinary citizens alike are calling for comprehensive action—not just symbolic gestures. Expanded social security programs, initiated under Sheinbaum’s predecessor, are already benefiting single mothers and other vulnerable populations. But activists insist that more must be done to address the root causes of violence and misogyny.
The attack on Mexico’s president has become a rallying cry, not just for legislative change but for a broader cultural reckoning. It is a stark reminder that power and prominence offer little protection in a society where machismo still holds sway. The challenge now is to translate outrage into action, ensuring that the country’s first female president can lead a genuine transformation for the women of Mexico—and for generations to come.
