to the editor: After being groped in public, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said: “If they do this to the president, what should happen to all the young women in the country?” In fact, and it's not just in Mexico and it's not just young women; They are also girls and older women internationally (“The president of Mexico was groped in the street. Now she is waging a war against rampant sexual harassment,” November 5).
What needs to be implemented is a multi-pronged approach to ending this type of violence globally. Prevention programs must be implemented for all children from elementary through high school, as well as existing laws enforced against perpetrators.
The white ribbon campaignDeveloped in Canada, it provides a framework for teaching children how to support the rights of women and girls, and should be part of the school curriculum both here and in Mexico.
MIA, Women Starting in the Americas is a California-based nonprofit organization that provides education based on the White Ribbon Campaign. It reaches primary schools, secondary schools and universities in Guatemala to help stop the wave of sexual violence against women there. These are the types of programs we need to see expanded in Mexico, the United States and around the world.
Christopher Hill, Costa Mesa
..
to the editor: It's terrifying to think that even the most powerful woman in Mexico would experience what many women face in their lives when dealing with sexual harassment. You would think that this presence of security and witnesses at the presidential level would prevent any unwanted sexual advances.
The reality is that women experience sexual harassment and assault all the time. How is it that no woman is exempt from the risk of being sexually harassed?
More policies need to be enacted that have greater repercussions for perpetrators of sexual harassment. If attackers see a potential risk, they will be more willing to stop. Furthermore, greater criminalization of sexual harassment will de-normalize the behavior.
Focusing on changing the abuser's behavior, rather than finding ways for women to defend themselves, will help set new norms for a better, safer future.
Ariana Mora, San Lorenzo
