In a powerful display of unity and defiance, hundreds of women took to the streets of Mexico City on Tuesday, rallying against the ongoing scourge of gender violence that continues to plague the nation. The march coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a day marked by global calls for change.

Participants, adorned in symbolic purple or sporting green bandanas, brought the city’s streets to life with the rhythm of drums and the sight of poignant messages. Among the signs held high was a striking declaration: “Today I am the voice of those who are asking for help.”

Alin Rocha, a 41-year-old teacher, encapsulated the spirit of the protest, marching for her grandmother, mother, and all the women silenced by violence. “I am here for all the women who report violence and are not supported,” she expressed, echoing the sentiments of many present.

Gender violence has increasingly been thrust into the spotlight, particularly since Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first female president, assumed office last year. Despite her leadership role, Sheinbaum herself was recently subjected to an inappropriate encounter with a drunken man in the heart of the capital, underscoring the pervasive nature of the issue.

In response to these challenges, Sheinbaum convened with governors from Mexico’s 32 states on Tuesday to address the critical need for legislative reform. She underscored the importance of making sexual harassment a punishable crime across all states, stating, “Changing the laws is not enough, but it is necessary.”

Miriam González, a 41-year-old doctor, said that even though a woman had made it to the presidency, “nothing has changed.”

Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography said in 2021, 70% of Mexican women and girls older than 15 reported they had experienced some kind of violence – nearly half of it sexual in nature.