International Women’s Day Día Internacional de la Mujer
International Women’s Day in Mexico
Observed on March 8th, International Women’s Day in Mexico is a day of mourning and protest rather than celebration. Since 2020, the focus of the day has been on raising awareness about gendered violence, particularly femicides, which continue to rise. In 2022, 2,807 women were murdered in Mexico, making it the most violent year on record for women.
The systematic impunity and lack of government action on these crimes have fueled widespread anger. The Women’s March on this day highlights these issues through protests, with groups like the “Bloque Negro” (Black Sector) protecting protesters from police violence. Despite this, the media often mischaracterizes them as anarchists and extremists.
Unlike marches elsewhere, Mexico’s Women’s March is “for women and by women,” with many participants opposing men’s involvement, urging them instead to reflect on the culture of machismo and gender violence.
An important initiative linked to the march is “Un día sin nosotras” (A Day Without Us) on March 9th, where women symbolically disappear from public life by not attending work or school. This action protests the high rates of missing and murdered women and emphasizes women’s importance in society.
Recent years have seen stronger representation from marginalized groups, including transgender and Indigenous women, who also face severe discrimination and violence. However, deeply rooted conservative and Catholic values in Mexico still challenge broader acceptance of feminist ideals.
For many women in Mexico, International Women’s Day is a solemn reminder of the lives lost to gender violence. As Ana Mar Picazo, a Mexican student, explains:
“Women’s Day is not a cause for celebration in Mexico. It’s a day to mourn the lives of all the girls who never made it back home and to make our voices heard against a misogynistic system endemic to our culture.”