The number of women murdered in Mexico has doubled, compared to five years ago. This has kicked off weeks of demonstrations across the country decrying the lack of action and accountability by the Mexican government. On International Women’s Day on Sunday, thousands of Mexican women took to the streets in protest of an alarming rise in violence against women in the country.
In Tijuana on Monday, some businesses were closed and stores went without staff as women engaged in a one-day strike they’re calling “un día sin mujeres.”
Women were trying to make their absence felt, in a way far more visible to the country than the thousands of women kidnapped and murdered every year.
One coffee shop hung up cards with the names of missing and murdered women.
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Many women in public wore purple in solidarity.
Alexandra, age 21, works at a bookstore off of Avenida Revolución. She wasn’t able to take the day off today, because it’s only women that work at the shop. She says the majority of her friends are staying in Monday.
"The majority of them are not going outside," she told KPBS in Spanish. "They’re not going to eat anything, they’re not going to do social media, just so they can be a part of this movement."
The gas station chain RendiChicas uses female gas station attendants, meant to make women drivers more comfortable as they pull into full-service gas stations.
On Monday, the company embraced the strike, and it was the men of the company who were pumping gas.
Jorge Sanchez Garcia, said he was happy to support his female co-workers on strike. Over ten of them were taking the day off in protest.
"Because of the kidnappings, the violations of the rights of women, men like me are in favor of the strike. We want to be supportive," he said.
