Will Mexico’s ‘glitter protests’ change rape culture?

Mexican feminists have been expressing their anger over violence against women and recent allegations that Mexico City police officers had raped two teenage girls. In the past week, protesters armed with pink glitter rallied at the city’s security headquarters and other locations chanting, “They don’t protect us, they rape us”.

One of the rape accusations involves four policemen who allegedly raped a 17-year-old in a patrol car. Another separate incident involved a 16-year-old who said an officer raped her in a city museum. No arrests have been made in the first case, and one officer was arrested last week in the second case.

In Mexico, protests against rape culture and femicide are not new. The recent demonstrations speak to a lingering frustration held by feminist demonstrators who feel that violence against women is not taken seriously by the state and that even security forces can commit such crimes with impunity.

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum has since met with protesters and representatives from women’s groups to discuss ways to address state violence against women. What can be done to change attitudes towards gender-based violence? Join the conversation.

On this episode of The Stream, we speak with: 
Tamara De Anda @plaqueta
Writer/Activist
chilango.com

Gisela Pérez de Acha @giselilla
Human rights lawyer

Gabriela Rodriguez @SeMujeresCDMX
Head of the Women’s Secretariat of Mexico City 
semujeres.cdmx.gob.mx

Read more:

Feminists protest against gender violence in Mexico City – El Universal
Mexican women are angry about rape, murder and government neglect – and they want the world to know – The Conversation

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