The Mexican city of Chihuahua has banned the performance of songs with misogynistic lyrics, The New York Times reports. Mayor Marco Bonilla introduced the law in a video last week, saying, “Violence against women has reached levels that we could consider like a pandemic. We can’t allow this to happen, and we also can’t allow this to be normalized.” The ban applies to songs deemed to promote violence or discriminate against women, with fines ranging from 674,000 pesos (about $39,000) to 1.2 million pesos ($71,000). Money raised will support a women’s institute in Chihuahua and a confidential women’s shelter, a Chihuahua city councilwoman said.
The drastic measure follows ongoing protests across Mexico in the state of Chihuahua, of which Chihuahua City is the capital, amid a recent rise in killings of women. Back in 2012, the city of Chihuahua banned Los Tigres del Norte for performing narcocorridos—songs celebrating the exploits of drug traffickers.
