The Feminist Protest in Mexico. Misogyny in Institutional Discourse and Socialdigital Networks

Abstract

Within the broader context of fourth-wave feminism, this article analyzes the emergence of young women’s collectives in Mexico which primarily function through social protest and online activism. In recent years, these collectives have successfully broken the silence on the seriousness of the problem of violence against women in Mexico, helping to shape public opinion and the political and media agenda. The text examines the specific dynamics of this struggle in Mexico, focusing on two moments of mass protest against systemic misogynistic violence: the first in August 2019, the second in February-March 2020. In particular, it examines the way in which these mobilizations were intensified and amplified by hostile reactions in the pub- lic sphere and from a social media backlash. It argues that the energy and focus of contemporary Mexican feminist activism comes from a dual indignation: rage due to the epidemic of violence against women is intensified by fur- ther institutional violence in the form of hostile, revictimizing, anti-feminist public discourses. In this way, the paper documents recent feminist activism, while also explaining the particular political dynamics of fourth-wave feminism in the country.