Excited to ride the subway for the first time, I was more than surprised to see that the Subways in Mexico City were separated by gender. One half of the subway is for women and children and the other is inclusive. Anyone can go on the inclusive side but only women and children 12 and younger can go on the women’s side of the subway. There are police enforcing this rule.
I asked my aunt about the separation and she said that before this was implemented, a lot of women were sexually harassed by the men. She said she was a victim of it herself. She explained how the subways get so crowded that the men take advantage of the low visibility and rub against women or just straight up grope them. For a women, having to get on the subway was a nightmare. Many depend on the means of transportation for their daily routines, though. With that being said, it was something these women had to deal with until they separated the subway.
That didn’t solve this issue at all, though. There are times when the women section of the subway gets too crowded so women have to go to the inclusive section which puts them at risk of getting sexually harassed. Also, rush hour is a time when the separation does not apply. There are so many people coming or going to school and work that the subway can’t afford to separate by gender at those times. This again, exposes women to possibly being harassed.
Mexico teamed up with the United Nations to do something about the fact that 9 out of 10 Mexican women have been sexually harassed while commuting in the capital via subways. That is why they have implemented the penis seat. It is a seat with a penis and it makes everyone uncomfortable. Its represents how uncomfortable women feel when riding the subway. The men are supposed to see this and hopefully get a wake up call. It is an interesting tactics and Mexico has high hopes that it will work. You can see a visual and more information on AJ+’s video here.
The penis seat is relatively new but hopefully it yields positive results.
Other cities are demanding the same seat in their subways. That means that other cities suffer from the same problem, although a survey in 2014 ranked Mexico City the worst. It should be something we talk about more. Women should not be fearful to ride a subway. Women should not be sexually harassed, point blank period.
Mexico and the United Nations have taken the first important steps in trying to solve this issue. The penis seat is relatively new but hopefully it yields positive results. Until then, we need to keep brainstorming new solutions for these women, especially Mexican women, who are vulnerable to sexual harassment.
