Mexican writers, journalists, actors denounce abuse against women

What started as one woman in Mexico’s literary world sharing experiences of sexual abuse, has since grown into a online campaign against sexual harassment and other forms of assault among several industries in the country.  

The social movement started on Thursday after Ana Ge, a political commentator, tweeted that “a powerful man within the literary circle” had beaten, manipulated and abandoned more than 10 women, in multiple occasions.

But since “he is a renowned writer, nobody believes these women,” she said. 

Va la historia: un hombre “poderoso” en el círculo literario ha golpeado, manipulado, gaslighteado, embarazado y abandonado (en más de una ocasión) a más de 10 mujeres. Pero como es un escritor “renombrado”, nadie le cree a estas mujeres.

— ???????????? ???????? ???? (@anag_g) March 22, 2019

Following Ge’s tweet, #MetooEscritoresMexicanos or “Me Too Mexican Writers” began to trend in the country, with millions of mentions, according to local media. 

By Monday, #MeTooPeriodistasMexicanos (Me Too Mexican Journalists), #MeTooAcademicosMexicanos (Me Too Mexican Academics) and #MeTooCineMexicano (Me Too Mexican Cinema) were being used by abuse and harassment survivors to shed light on the prevalance of violence against women in these industries. 

Translation: What was private now is public because it affects us collectively, because impunity has already claimed too many lives, because it forces us radically to make an ethical, political, legal and social rethinking inside and outside the private space.

(lo que era privado ahora es público porque nos afecta colectivamente, porque la impunidad ha cobrado ya demasiadas vidas, porque nos obliga radicalmente a hacer un replanteamiento ético, político, jurídico y social dentro y fuera del espacio privado) #MeTooEscritoresMexicanos

— Vivian Abenshushan (@zingarona) March 25, 2019

Translation: “Violence against women is also frequent in media.”

“Seven out of 10 women who work in this field have also been harassed by a boss, a co-worker or a source”

La violencia vs las mujeres también se hace frecuente en el medio periodístico.

⚡7 de cada 10 mujeres q trabajamos en el medio hemos sido acosadas x un jefe, un compañero de trabajo o una fuente⚡

Esto según el AcosoDATA d #PUM#MeTooEscritoresMexicanos pic.twitter.com/fhaVpa5egi

— Ruth Muñiz (@RootMuniz) March 24, 2019

Translation: “I study literacy, and I have experienced violence against me and against my classmates.”

“When I was in the second year of my mayor, I was raped by Christopher Yescas @ nietodearreola, it took me a long time to get out of the denial. The literary circle is small.” 

Estudio Letras y he vivido violencia contra mí y contra mis compañeras.
Cuando iba en el segundo año de la carrera me violó Christopher Yescas @nietodearreola, me tomó mucho tiempo salir de la negación. El círculo literario es pequeño, es el mismo. #MeTooEscritoresMexicanos

— Lápiz de labios (@FlorFatal) March 23, 2019

Translation: This type of move helps [society] to evolve and awaken consciences. We have normalised harassment and other abusive behaviors, but I am glad that this is already changing.

Este tipo de movimientos ayudan a evolucionar y a despertar las conciencias. Hemos normalizado el acoso y otras conductas abusivas, pero celebro que eso ya esté cambiando. #MeTooEscritoresMexicanos#YoSiLesCreo

— (¯`·._.·ÂÐ¥·._.·´¯) (@Ady_Gracia) March 25, 2019

Seven women killed every day

Violence against women is widespread in Mexico.

According to UN, the country has one of the world’s highest femicide rates. Seven women are killed every day, according to the UN. Six out of 10 women, including minors, say they have suffered some type of violence in their lives. 

The online campaign came less a month after a new poll, conducted by the United Mexican Journalist collective, found that 73 percent of women faced some type of abuse in the media industry. 

About 63 percent said the abuse came from their co-workers. 

Recently, victims of domestic abuse were given panic alarms as part of government efforts to combat growing rates of violence, but many online said that more must be done. 

The weekend’s Twitter trends is not the first time that #MeToo touched the country. In 2018, Mexican actress Karla Souza exposed how a director raped her when she began her career.

Souza did not reveal the name of her attacker, but the Mexican television network Televisa took measure against Gustavo Loza. 

Loza has denied being the person Karla referred to, saying in a statement that the actress man no “direct accusations against me in any of her interviews”. 

The #MeToo movement gained momentum in October 2017 after US producer Harvey Weinstein was accused by several women of sexual assault and rape. Weinstein has denied the allegations. 

Millions of women worldwide shared their own stories of abuse, harassment and assault.