Carmen Barajas Sandoval - Feminism and Anti-discrimination Struggle

Feminism and Anti-discrimination Struggle

In 1975, Carmen was invited by her cousin, Anilú Elias Paullada to a feminist conference. From the first moment she became a passionate feminist and joined the Movimiento Nacional de Mujeres (Women's National Movement).

During this time, this group made several and important contributions to help abused women both in Mexico and internationally.

"The feminist struggle is the most important one in history ever" said Carmen who tells impressive numbers about abused women along history, both in her country and the world in her autobiographical book Gracias a la vida.

"I will never stop fighting to help anyone who is abused and discriminated" says Carmen who is also a passionate defender of the rights of homosexuals, Colored and the Jewish people's rights, and believes that every person has the duty of doing likewise.

"We cannot consider ourselves as civilized people until every form of discrimination has been eradicated. Women have been abused and discriminated for thousands of years because men believed we were second class humans. Even today in the 21st century, people in some countries still have the stupid idea that having a baby girl as a first born is a misfortune and let the baby die. This abomination has to be eradicated before anyone can call themselves as civilized.

I also have said over and over again that everyone has a right to love and be loved, and nobody on this earth has the right to tell anyone that their love for another human being is morally wrong just because they happen to be persons of the same sex. I also believe that no one can discriminate anybody just because they happen to worship a god who has a different name, or to humiliate or abuse someone just because they have a different skin tone, a different nationality or a different culture... It's vital we understand that we humans inhabit this tiny planet together and if we are to survive, it will have to be together, or not at all.

In the end antiblack, antifemale, antigay and all forms of discrimination are equivalent to the same thing - antihumanism.""

Carmen is also a defender of capital punishment against rapists and killers and, along with her feminist group changed Mexican legislation in order to apply stronger punishment against violence towards women.