Mexico City, Mexico – In a recent statement that has drawn widespread criticism, Mexican Congressman Marte Alejandro Ruiz Nava suggested that actions such as a woman refusing to make lunch for her husband or opting not to engage in sexual relations could be considered forms of “microviolence” against men. His comments were made during a discussion about an initiative aimed at preventing men from being victims of discrimination and ensuring equal attention to complaints of violence by men.
“If a woman raises her voice to a man, if she doesn’t make him lunch, it can also be said that it is a micro situation of violence,” Ruiz Nava said. He further elaborated by stating that a woman declining to engage in sexual activity due to a headache or other reasons could be another form of microviolence. “If you don’t spend the night with him, that is, if you have a headache and don’t want to have sex, that is also micro-violence, because you are not giving in to being with your partner,” he added.
Men’s Rights and Allegations of Gender Discrimination
Ruiz Nava’s remarks were part of a broader conversation around his proposed legislative initiative, which aims to address what he describes as insufficient attention to violence against men. He argues that current policies disproportionately favor women when it comes to the treatment of complaints about violence.
“We are saying that violence is present in all kinds of situations, with the simple fact that today more attention is paid to a complaint made by women and not in favor of men,” he said. Ruiz Nava’s statements suggest that the legal and social systems in Mexico fail to offer men the same level of protection as women when they experience violence or discrimination.
While the congressman emphasized that his initiative is not intended to diminish the women’s rights movement, his comments have been interpreted by many as controversial and problematic. “I am not against the women’s movement and the fight for rights,” he stated, attempting to clarify his stance.
Feminist Backlash: “Encouraging Violence Against Women”
Ruiz Nava’s comments have provoked strong reactions from women’s rights activists and feminist organizations. Martha de la Cruz López, a member of the feminist collective Mujer Manglar, told El Sol de Tampico that the congressman’s statements risk promoting harmful gender stereotypes and perpetuating violence against women.
“There is freedom of expression that we defend, but there is a fine line between what opinions are and where hate speech is already being made or violence is being incited,” de la Cruz López said. She argued that such statements trivialize serious issues surrounding women’s rights and could fuel a culture of misogyny.
The Reality of Violence Against Women in Mexico
The congressman’s comments stand in stark contrast to the alarming statistics surrounding gender-based violence in Mexico. According to the Gender Equality Observatory for Latin America and the Caribbean of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Mexico ranked second in femicides across the region in 2022, with 976 recorded cases of women murdered due to their gender.
In addition, a report from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) revealed that 70.1% of women aged 15 and older have experienced some form of violence during their lives. Psychological violence is the most pervasive, affecting 51.6% of women, followed closely by sexual violence (49.7%). These experiences occur predominantly within the community (45.6%) and in intimate partner relationships (39.9%).
The same INEGI report also noted that between October 2020 and October 2021, 42.8% of women aged 15 and older reported having experienced at least one form of violence. Psychological violence accounted for 29.4% of these cases, while sexual violence followed at 23.3%. The data further revealed that violence was most frequently reported in community settings (22.4%), followed by workplace environments (20.8%).
These statistics paint a bleak picture of the reality faced by millions of women across the country, highlighting the severe and widespread issue of gender-based violence. In this context, Ruiz Nava’s comments have been perceived as not only insensitive but also potentially harmful, as they may shift focus away from the pressing issue of violence against women.
Legal and Social Implications
The congressman’s framing of actions like refusing sexual relations as “microviolence” raises concerns about the reinforcement of harmful gender norms and the potential misuse of such language in legal settings. Critics warn that equating everyday personal decisions with violence risks undermining genuine efforts to combat abuse and harassment. Additionally, his emphasis on men’s grievances in a society already grappling with widespread violence against women could divert attention from urgent reforms aimed at reducing femicide and gender-based violence.
While Ruiz Nava insists that his initiative seeks only to ensure that men’s complaints are taken seriously, his statements have fueled a growing debate about the language used to describe violence in relationships and the potential consequences of shifting focus away from women’s rights in a country plagued by gender violence.
