International Women’s Day in Guadalajara

On Friday, March 8th, International Women’s Day, the students hustled into the classroom. The girls were sharing hugs and love for the day . The boys were in pretend outrage that the girls get a special day and they don’t. We talked. I explained the advances women have made in becoming more equal members of society. We acknowledged the inequalities that still persist. We discussed the systems in place in our society that don’t allow women to reach higher. I think they got it. This day is not just to celebrate the gains women have made but to continue to fight and bring attention critical issues.

After school, Vicki and I went to downtown Guadalajara to participate in the 8M or #YoVoy8deMarzo March. Women of all ages gathered around the rotunda. Some carried small children on their backs tied with a rebozo while some pushed strollers. Older women smiled on at the younger women applying purple and green stripes with face paint. Many carried drums, posters, signs,  green bandanas. The cross section of the march included a range of ethnicities, ages, social economic status, life experiences, and passions. Everyone was gathered together to demand rights for women.

The march started at the cathedral and continued down Avenida Vallarta, a major thoroughfare in Guadalajara. We marched over three kilometers to the Glorieta de los Desaparecidos on Avenida Chapultepec. The route allowed for high visibility, in the historic center of the city, passing through the University and ending in the popular Chapultepec area. Throughout the march, the women repeated, “Ni una más, ni una más, ni una asesinada más” [Not one more, not one more, not one more woman murdered].

The women in the crowd were demanding end to violence against women. Mexico has high rates of physical and sexual violence against women, domestic violence, and femicide. Machismo is rampant in the society, showing itself in both obvious and subtle ways. Catcalls are a constant annoyance and threat so the women united their voices to shout, “No es piropo, es acoso” [It’s not a catcall, it’s harassment]. On several occasions, a more fun song broke out, “La que no brinca es macho, la que no brinca es macho” [Whoever isn’t jumping is a macho, whoever isn’t jumping is a macho] and the whole crowd jump and bounced around festively.

Legalizing abortion was the other major demand of the women at the march. Currently only Mexico City allows women to legally offer women the option of abortion; while in the rest of the country women may be granted the request in the case of rape, severe fetal deformities, or to save the pregnant woman’s life. I strongly believe that access to safe and legal abortion is an important human rights issue. Mexico is an overwhelmingly Catholic and conservative country and the mix of religion and politics has long delayed women full access to reproductive health. One repeated chant at the march, “Aborto sí, Aborto no, eso yo decido yo” [Abortion yes, abortion no, that’s for me to decide].

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Along with ending violence and access to legal, safe abortions, our communities need more and improved sexual education. Many people need improved access to family planning, resources and models for positive relationships, strategies for preventing pregnancy and STIs, and health care from qualified and modern medical professionals.

As we marched toward Chapultepec, the crowd grew to several thousand. Together, the women knelt, fists in the air, to have a moment of silence for the women that couldn’t attend, for the thousands of disappeared women. Another chant continued, “¿Dónde están las desaparecidas? Las queremos de vuelta y vivas.” [Where are the disappeared women? We want them back alive].

Along the route, another frequent chant went like this: “Señor, Señora, no sean indiferentes, están matando las mujeres en la cara de la gente” [Ladies and gentlemen, don’t be indifferent, they are killing women in front of our faces.]  I wondered what those observing the march were thinking; did they connect with the experience of the marchers? Did they disagree with their demands? Did they care about the missing and murdered women?

So, the next time you hear us yell, “Hermana, escucha, esta tambien es tu lucha” [Sister, listen, this is your fight too], come join us. When you’re ready, you’ll be welcome in this lucha.