Since 2011, more than 3 million women have been victims of sexual violence in Mexico City. According to statistics provided by freelance journalist Andrea Noel, at least 1,400 women are assaulted, beaten, raped or murdered in the country on a daily basis.
Noel recently joined sexual assault victims, Yakiri Rubio and Gabriela Nava, in a campaign called “No Te Calles” (Don’t be silenced), which was introduced on Change.org earlier this month and encourages women to report sex crimes.
Nava, just like Noel, initiated a social media movement to help identify her attacker, a man who allegedly pleasured himself as he sneaked his phone camera under the College student’s skirt. This happened on the bus she usually takes on her way to school.
Just like Gabriela, there are thousands of young women out there who turn to public transportation to commute to their every day activities, unfortunately it is not always safe and they are constantly exposed to these types of situations.
In an effort to guarantee women’s safety on the subway, the city announced the launch of “Women Only” cars, a selected number of pink colored subway cars that run at certain times and that prohibit the entrance to men.
“I think it’s a necessary concept for women to feel safe,” said Jimena Soria from Gire Feminist Group told AJ+. “When they go to school, to work, to the places they frequent.”
She continued, “They should have them every day at every hour because assaults don’t have a schedule.”
Other users, such as feminist artist Lizeth Gamboa, don’t think that this is the best possible solution to the on-going crisis.
“This segregation of public space normalizes violence in a sense,” she said. “[The system] assumes that men are beings who can’t control their sexual impulses and that they’re programmed to attack.”
According to Milenio.com, police officers in the area have instructions to monitor the routes from 6:00 am to 9:30 pm every day of the week.
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