Yesterday was a victorious day for woman across Mexico, and just one step closer to defeating the problem of Mexico's machismo. The government has created a manual to be given out to work places in order to eliminate the use of sexist language. After living here now for over seven months it's clear to see that many women in Mexico fall victim to male chauvinism. I cannot say that I have been exposed to such extremes, but it is getting rather tiring being gawped, hissed and yelled at, every time I walk down the street. Obviously, my blondish hair aggravates the situation, however, it has been hard adjusting to a country where some men believe they can look at you however they want and say to you whatever they want.
The manual gives advice and guidance on how men should talk to women and encourages them to avoid derogatory words and phrases like, "you are prettier when you're silent". This comes just days after International Women's day on 8th March when the Mexican government acknowledged that "insults and harassments" are a big problem for women in Mexico. Sadly, Mexico also has an extremely high rate of domestic violence, and even worse, there's an increasing concern for the high numbers of female homicides, also known as "femicides".
Let's hope this is just one more step towards gaining greater equality here in Mexico.
