MEXICO CITY (AP) — Claudia Sheinbaum’s name will go down in Mexican history.
The governing party candidate won Mexico’s presidential election on Sunday, a turning point in a mostly conservative nation that for more than two centuries has been exclusively ruled by men.
Elsewhere in Latin America, women have led countries including Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Guyana, Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama, Haiti and Costa Rica.
Mexican women won the right to vote in 1953. No law prevented female candidates from holding office, but sexism and “macho” culture continue to permeate the country of 129 million people.
Prior to the current presidential race, during which Sheinbaum maintained a comfortable lead against opposition candidate Xóchitl Gálvez, only two women had officially sought Mexico’s presidency. Both failed.
In her bid to replace outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Sheinbaum struggled to construct an image of her own, leaving many wondering whether she can escape the shadow of her mentor.
Sheinbaum, a climate scientist and former Mexico City mayor, has vowed to continue López Obrador's policies, and in her victory speech Monday gave little sign of how she will make her own mark on the presidency. Her cool temper offers a sharp contrast in style with López Obrador's folksy populism, and a break with Mexico’s male-dominated political culture.
Sheinbaum is also the first person from a Jewish background to lead the overwhelmingly Catholic country.
Women currently lead some key Mexican institutions, such as the Senate, the Supreme Court and the National Electoral Institute. Mexico ranks third among Latin American nations with the most women in the national Cabinet — 44% — and has 10 female governors among its 32 states.
In some Indigenous villages, though, men still hold the power.
Among the issues that Mexican women face are femicide, or women killed because of their gender, and a gender employment gap
Here’s a look at the issues.
FEMICIDE AND GENDER VIOLENCE
Demonstrations on International Women’s Day on March 8 are painful reminders that many Mexican women disappear or are killed on a daily basis.
According to U.N. Women, up to 10 women are victims of femicide each day in Mexico. The number totaled 3,000 in 2023.
Thousands more have disappeared. In many cases, it is their mothers, feeling abandoned by the government, who have taken on the task of searching for them.
Most femicides go unpunished due to Mexico’s inefficient justice system, which frequently dismisses reported crimes or fails to properly investigate and prosecute them.
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, more than 40% of Mexican women who are 15 years old or older say they have been victims of some sort of violence in their lives.
During her campaign, Sheinbaum said she would replicate measures against gender-based violence that were implemented when she was mayor of the capital. They include the creation of an anti-femicide prosecutor’s office and legislation that would force offenders to leave their homes.
“We transform, we are warriors who open paths for other women,” Sheinbaum said.
In spite of this, Sheinbaum has been criticized by feminists and activists arguing that her government lacked gender-related policies. Excessive use of force against women during demonstrations has been flagged as well.
GENDER EMPLOYMENT GAP
According to official figures, 76% of Mexican men and only 47% of women are employed.
Among working women, 54% have informal jobs and they dedicate close to 43 hours per week to household chores. According to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness, this limits the time that women can devote to the labor market. Education and access to public transportation are determining factors as well.
Women usually earn less money than men. In Mexico City, the difference is 6%, while in other states the gap can reach up to 25%.