María Félix owned furniture that Napoleon III. owned and sold in Paris, France, in 1990 (Photo: Alain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images).
“When women are the majority, we will rule”She predicted the iconic actress Mary Felix in 1996. Her words echo in the current feminist movements, and while there is still a long way to go before they are fully fulfilled, it is true that there are significant advances that the Doña have all longed for.
“Here in Mexico, women are associated with duty, submission, slavery, conformism. The story of the Mexican woman is like that of the people themselves, married to their rulers: the man with the government sometimes acquiesces, but almost never, and afterwards in this marriage there are children who learn what they don’t learn,” lamented Felix in this conversation.
The actress spoke with Verónica Castro for the La Tocada program on machismo, violence against women, feminism and empowerment, where she warned men that women’s demand for equality is an unstoppable situation. “In a world of men like this, I want to warn you to be careful: Here comes the revenge of women. When we are the majority We will rule, and to rule you must be informed, learn, and be prepared. That’s why it’s necessary for women to continue their education.”
35 years ago in Mexico there was a slight increase in the number of women compared to men. By 2020, that gap has widened to 4 million more of them. According to the 2020 Population and Housing Census, there are currently 65 million women for every 61 million men.
However, it is estimated that 5.5% of the population over the age of 15 is illiterate, and women are disproportionately affected: six out of ten illiterates are women, according to Unesco. 35.4% of women aged 15 and over have some form of educational disadvantage, a higher number compared to men in the same age group, which is 33.3%.
But in her role as Python, the Doña sent a stern message: “Listen carefully, there won’t be many shows like this, so Women, abused, to study, to learn, to find out!“.
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María Félix in 1959 (Photo by ullstein bild/ullstein bild via Getty Images)
In another segment of the interview from just over 26 years ago, Felix also condemned men’s violence against women, particularly at home. She knew what she was talking about: her first marriage to a macho man who took her son away from her and being constantly jealous of her second husband were experiences she wouldn’t wish on any woman, and that’s why she insisted on autonomy and preparation.
“There are husbands, there are certain husbands who physically abuse their wives. I swear, Let justice be stricter for these domestic executioners If we transform the violence in this country, if we transform the violence in this country, we will be stronger every day,” he said to Castro, while some participants applauded and laughed at the diva’s wishes.
“It seems to me that Mexico needs to be different. I think we’re already in a moment where we can change and say ‘enough is enough’,” he added.
Some feminist victories achieved in Mexico that María Félix did not witness include the decriminalization of abortion in 11 entities in the Mexican Republic, the classification of acid attacks as physical violence against women (and this raises the possibility that it may be classified as a as a criminal offense and as gender-based violence), the Mexico City Congress’s motion to amend the general labor code to introduce menstrual leave, and that some local congresses also include vicarious violence or the passage of laws stripping accused parents of homeland powers femicide.
“Much of the good that Mexico has had since the beginning of time is due to women, women have been a bulwark and a safeguard at home and abroad (…). We must be more autonomous, more owners and ladies of our destiny, he prophesied.
“(Veronica), you’ll see that soon, I might not see it, but you will.” See you soon, beautiful Maria. Soon.