“I already told you to sleep with clothes on because you are producing many babies” was a statement made by Omar Fayad, Mexican governor of Hidalgo, to indigenous women at Acaxochitlán, one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, while he was delivering ecological stoves to the local community. After making this statement, Omar Fayad apologized for not being clear about what he was trying to communicate. The discriminatory and misogynist remark was made by a member of the current Mexican President’s party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
This political party has had a long history of governing the Mexican territory with corruption and lies.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
Mexicans used to refer to the members of the party as dinosaurs, and with reason. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) has governed in Mexico for over 70 years, and while some of their politics have been the same through the years, the Mexican country has been evolving and in need of new political approaches. Enrique Peña Nieto, current Mexican President, has created controversy among Mexican citizens with his polemic declarations during his political mandate. But apparently, as seen on 14th December, Omar Fayad follows the steps of the Mexican President.
Fayad, like Peña Nieto, has had a long history of discriminatory statements during his political career. Something to take into account, as this might represent not just an inside issue of the political party, but a national problem reflecting the social inequality the country is living.
Indigenous communities
There have been mixed attitudes in regard of how to tackle poverty among Mexican indigenous communities.
While some claimed that this national issue should be resolved through better political policies which might become as a result of lowering corruption percentages among politicians, others have been stuck in the early 50’s where people used to think that a national socio-economic problem should be resolve by simply telling women that they should cover themselves.
Fayad’s statement is not only misogynist, as he thinks women are one of the main problems of overpopulation, and therefore poverty, but he also sees them as simple objects that produce babies, as he said, “you are producing many babies”. This remark is anything but hilarious. It should not be taken as a simple mistake that could be forgotten and we should all focus on how he, as a man as a political leader, can simply make a mistake referring to indigenous women as one of the main reasons there are many kids on indigenous local communities. His statement is a reflection of something bigger, of a problem which not only affects Mexico, but it affects the entire world. Women are constantly underestimated and objectified leading to violent behaviour towards them. Omar Fayad should be more careful about how he uses language. As a political leader he should be leading through tolerant and inclusive policies, not discriminatory and misogynist statements.
