Breathe
By Carmen Sánchez
From necessity and as a woman survivor of one of the most extreme violence - an acid attack - I seek to address several crucial aspects about the situation of women in Mexico and the importance of the fact that the highest position of political power and leadership in our country is held by a woman, Claudia Sheinbaum.
Each one of us women who have managed to survive extreme violence has a story of inexplicable resilience that deserves to be heard, made visible and supported. It is necessary and urgent to act with effective public policies that protect and strengthen all women in Mexico.
Until a few years ago, for Mexican women it was impossible to think that one of us would occupy the Presidency of the Republic and it was not even thought that women could occupy the public space; I grew up in a traditional and conservative family; the only aspiration I had as a child, like my sisters and friends, was to get married and have children; that was the only thing and the maximum we could aspire to. Historically we have been denied the possibility of desiring, of thinking about what we want for ourselves and in that sense Claudia Sheinbaum is a symbol and a reference for other girls and generations in this country. As a victim of attempted femicide, I think that when Claudia says that she does not arrive alone but that we all arrive, this includes women who have been victims of serious crimes. Claudia has a historical debt with all women victims of violence, with survivors and with women who are not with us today because they have been victims of femicide and forced disappearances. Claudia owes a debt to feminist activists, collectives, civil society organizations and human rights defenders. And she is not in a position to look the other way or fail to notice that at this point in time, the structural and systemic violence against women is undeniable, that it represents a drama in this country, that it hurts us and that we are not willing to continue hurting us. We women are not a minority, we are not a collective, we women are half of the population and half of the electorate, therefore, Claudia has an enormous responsibility with all women, both with those who voted for her and with those who did not, and the eyes will be on her administration, on her government project in defense of the right to life, which is the most precious thing we women have in Mexico and which is being vilely taken away from us because of patriarchy, misogyny and machismo. Claudia has the responsibility to guarantee the right to freedom, personal safety, health and education; all very important. The right to think about what we want for ourselves must also be guaranteed so that we can build a world that is livable for women.
On July 2, Claudia not only became the first woman president-elect, she was the most voted candidate in Mexico's history and half of her voters are women. In this sense, she has the historic opportunity to settle the debt -also historic- with us women. With the victims, with the collectives, with the human rights defenders and with the feminists. We will be vigilant throughout your administration, but, above all, we will be vigilant that women's human rights are guaranteed. The right to life, to integrity, to security, to health, to education. What we are saying is no small thing. If Claudia says that we are all here, that includes all of us and we all have to be represented in this government project that she is about to head.
It is a call to action to build a more just and equitable future for all women in the country.
WE NEED A FUTURE OF SENSITIVITY AND STRENGTH
*Carmen Sánchez is a leading human rights defender and feminist activist who has turned her personal experience into a powerful engine for social change. A survivor of an acid attack in 2014, Carmen has dedicated her life to fighting for justice and protection for women victims of chemical violence.
Her commitment to the cause has been recognized on multiple occasions. In 2019, the State Council of Women and Social Welfare of the State of Mexico designated her as "Ambassador of the Orange Network". The following year, she received the prestigious "Galardones de Mujeres 20-30" award from COSCEMEX and the Government of the State of Mexico. In 2021, she won first place in the VI Raquel Berman Award for Female Resilience in the Face of Adversity, a recognition of her ability to overcome adversity and her work in promoting women's rights. In 2022, the Human Rights and Social Justice Action Group presented her with the "Siempre por ellas" award, in recognition of her courage and commitment in the fight against impunity and violence. More recently, in 2024, she was distinguished as one of the ten supermamás of the year by Selecciones magazine.
She is part of the "Digna Ochoa" Women Lawyers Network, a collective dedicated to train legal professionals with a strong gender perspective. She is also co-creator and president of the Carmen Sánchez Foundation, the first organization in Mexico focused on defending and promoting the rights of women affected by chemical violence. As co-author, she contributed to the article "Afectaciones psicosociales en mujeres mexicanas víctimas de ataques con ácido", published in the Revista Digital de Ciencia Forense de la UNAM.
Among his most significant achievements was the push for the #AcidLaw.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
Comments ()