Mexico Launches Plan Against Sexual Violence After Assault

Published: 13 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

The shocking public groping of Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, has sparked swift political action to combat sexual abuse, while also igniting a broader debate on how best to address a problem that affects millions of women across the country.

In response to the incident, Mexico’s Secretary for Women, Citlalli Hernández, unveiled a presidential plan aimed at tackling sexual violence nationwide. The initiative includes measures such as ensuring prison sentences for sexual abuse across all states, encouraging women to report incidents, and training prosecutors and officials on handling such cases.

The plan also envisions a wide-reaching public awareness campaign targeting schools, workplaces, public spaces, and transport networks, with the goal of preventing violence against women. “We want to tell all Mexican women, girls, and young women that you are not alone, that when you experience any type of violence, it is important to report it,” Hernández said last week. “Know that today there is a president who protects you.”

The policy announcement follows a disturbing incident in Mexico City, where a man—apparently intoxicated—attempted to kiss Sheinbaum and groped her while she was walking in public. Video footage of the assault quickly circulated online, provoking outrage across the nation.

The incident highlighted the widespread nature of sexual harassment in Mexico, where even the country’s leader is not immune. According to the national statistics agency, seven out of 10 women and girls aged 15 and older have experienced at least one form of violence in their lifetime, including psychological or sexual abuse. In 2025 alone, 25,000 sexual harassment complaints have already been filed nationwide.

Such abuses often escalate into more severe violence. On average, 10 women are murdered in Mexico each day, and in the first six months of this year, more than 500 women were killed in gender-motivated crimes, known as femicides.

“What happened to the president is what has happened to many of us,” said Congresswoman Rocio Abreu, from Sheinbaum’s Morena party. “The president is just another one of us who have experienced harassment, political violence, physical violence, sexual violence, economic violence. There is a whole range of violence against women … And none of us are exempt.”

A central component of the plan is the harmonisation of laws across Mexico’s 32 states to ensure sexual assault is universally classified as a criminal offense, aligning state legislation with federal law, which mandates six to ten years in prison for violent sexual abuse against vulnerable populations or minors.

Senator Martha Lucía Mícher, also from Morena, emphasized the broader scope of the challenge. “We need to review who has legislated on issues related to the agenda of non-violence against women,” she said, noting that state penal codes will be scrutinized. “It’s a crime committed against the daughters of judges, their sisters, their wives.”

However, Mícher stressed that legal reform alone is insufficient. “You have to classify the crime as a serious offense. You also work with men. You also empower women. You also conduct awareness campaigns. You also train public officials, police officers, government officials, and judges. And you also do great work with the community.”

Despite the new initiative, some women expressed scepticism about the government’s ability to achieve meaningful change. “It’s been too many years of fighting and too many years of this movement and there hasn’t been a difference,” said Itzayana Brito, a 20-year-old nursing student. “There have been small changes, but there’s never been a concrete difference.”

Feminist activists also questioned the emphasis on criminal penalties as the primary solution to widespread abuse. “What worries me is that the president’s focus is exclusively on criminal law and she is neglecting other avenues that could be strengthened,” said Estefania Vela, legal expert and executive director of feminist group Intersecta. “It’s an easy response to change criminal codes but there’s little change in real life.”

Oriana López, another activist, echoed these concerns. “There’s a theory that if we include it in the penal code and increase the penalties—making it a harsher punishment, more years in prison—then it will prevent people from doing it,” she said. “That’s the theory, but there’s no evidence to support it. It hasn’t been proven that this is a realistic or long-term measure.”

Instead, activists argued, the government should focus on educational campaigns to drive a societal shift where sexual abuse is no longer tolerated or normalized. “There has to be cultural change in masculinity,” López said. “What are we doing so that men have a masculinity that isn’t toxic, that isn’t violent, that isn’t invasive – so that they’re not abusive?”

The groping of President Sheinbaum, while shocking, has thrust the issue of gender-based violence into the national spotlight, creating both momentum and pressure for meaningful reforms. The coming months will test whether Mexico can translate the outrage and political will into lasting change for the millions of women affected by abuse each day.