By Martha Ramos
LatinaLista
The struggle for gender equality is very closely associated with defending the environment, both relate to human rights. They serve as the three main pillars for the development of a civilized society.
So the events of the last few weeks are good news.
While the women’s world soccer tournament dominated major newspaper Sports sections, in Mexico, Margarita Zavala, wife of former President Felipe Calderon, began her quest for president and she has a strong chance of winning, just as in the United States, Hillary Clinton is gaining ground and consolidating her lead as the Democratic nominee.
The environment has a new vocal ally — the Pope. He is speaking out on the dangers to the environment and is on the road to making any attack on the planet a cardinal sin. In his Encyclical, the first written entirely by him, he again criticizes a society based on consumption and waste that humankind has created and calls for a change from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. No Pope before has adopted the green agenda.
In Mexico, the Supreme Court supports the right of gay couples to marry, like any other couple, and a week later the United States euphorically celebrates an even more forceful Supreme Court decision. For the first time, the White House logo was painted with a rainbow, and others continued the show of solidarity, pleasantly surprising everyone.
And Donald Trump, from his ditch, did a good job of what people like him do — attack, fight and insult. He launched a tirade against migrants, especially Mexicans, and though in his defense he sought to clarify that he doesn’t think we Mexicans are inferior, but superior because we abuse the United States, his words only entangled themselves in a speech filled with prejudice and intolerance.
In response, we all protested, social media boiled with anger, and icons of the Latino community, migrants from here to Patagonia, and for the first time, major media conglomerates: NBC, Univision, Televisa and Mexico’s own richest man, Carlos Slim, all denounced Trump and his remarks and severed their business ties with him.
It isn’t a matter of fiercely defending Mexico and Mexicans, but Trump’s speech offends a work force that not only sustains the United States but many other countries of the world: the migrant workforce.
Human rights, environment and gender equality, is an agenda we all share: society, businesses and governments.
Without a doubt, that is the good news.
Martha Ramos is based in Mexico City and works as a magazine editor.
