Almost 115 thousand women aged 18 and older, declared that they had experienced sexual harassment and gender violence in public areas of the Yucatecan capital, reveals the National Urban Public Safety Survey (ENSU), of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).
In addition, a survey revealed that women feel more unsafe at night, mainly in the Center of Mérida, specifically in the areas of municipal markets, which is why they asked for more surveillance and lighting in those urban areas.
The ENSU results show that, at the end of 2023, almost 23 percent (22.95) of Yucatecan women aged 18 and older, that is, 114,902, have been victims of some illicit behavior in common places. Of this number of victims, 20.3 percent (25,325) said they had been the target of sexual intimidation; 6.2 percent (7,122) suffered, to some degree, sexual abuse; 1.5 percent (1,724) “experienced” sexual harassment or harassment, and 0.9 percent (1,000) suffered an attempted or sexual violation.
Among the behaviors described as illicit, in the statistics of sexual harassment and violence, include rude and offensive compliments of a sexual nature, touching, insinuations, insults, and forcing sexual relations against one’s will,
Given these worrying figures, the local newspaper Por Esto carried out a survey in the Historic Center, in which women between 17 and 35 years of age were interviewed. In summary, they expressed their fear because at some point they have experienced harassment in public spaces; Half of them stated they have experienced it on several occasions.
“From a morbid look that makes you feel like they are undressing you – and it is disgusting – to obscene words and even having their genitals shown to you; we have to go through all of that on many occasions. What we always ask for is that there be more surveillance, because most of the time, there are no police around. Around the Plaza Grande and the Eulogio Rosado Park, it is very scary to walk at night. Also in the South and West sides of the city. Authorities must pay attention to young girls under 15, who are the most vulnerable,” said Mariana Euán, a Yucatecan citizen.
Although not only women have suffered harassment: according to ENSU, as for men, 5.5 percent of those over 18 years of age, totaling 22,401, reported having faced situations of personal harassment and sexual violence in public places.
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