By Mitzi Ruiz, Nov. 19, 2024
In a historic moment for Mexico and women everywhere, Claudia Sheinbaum was inaugurated as the country’s first female and first Jewish president in October 2024.
Since then, Sheinbaum has been met with disgraceful misogynistic comments and the assumption she is not qualified for her position because of her gender, completely disregarding her education and experience.
As Mexico’s first female leader, Sheinbaum is breaking through a male-dominated space in a traditionally conservative country – an accomplishment America has yet to achieve given the results of the recent election. While the presidency comes with many responsibilities, there will also be new and distinct challenges led by sexism.
“I think the greatest challenge she will face is simply being a woman,” said Cal Poly Pomona Spanish student Carolina Mendez. “As a leader of the government, she will have to meet with other world leaders, and the problem will be that they take her seriously as one.”
Sheinbaum has had to face misogynistic comments simply because she is a woman. For instance, Mexican actor Rafael Inclán called her a “housewife” after she won the election.
Sheinbaum addressed the comment made by Inclán at a press conference.
“What is most lamentable to me is that the word housewife is being used in such a pejorative way,” Sheinbaum said. “No, I am president, a grandmother, a mother and a housewife with pride. To all who believe that by saying housewife it is derogatory, no. We as women will be in charge of recognizing the work of women who make the home.”
In a culture where women face misogynistic comments and actions every day, it is not surprising some people hold this sentiment. Being a housewife does not make any woman less hardworking or deserving of respect.
“Half of these men around the world are the most emotional men who have been in leadership that I have known,” said Amy Siordia, a Spanish and gender ethnic and multicultural studies student at CPP. “And I’m just like, we are emotional, OK. The idea of a housewife is such a machista (sexist) identity we need to break.”
Presidents should be elected based on their qualifications as leaders, not gender. Sheinbaum is a good fit for the country as she has an educational background in energy engineering and was formerly the mayor of Mexico City.
Her background in science is reflected in her policies that aim to combat climate change and protect the environment. Sheinbaum has vowed to continue to support the people of Mexico and help create laws that bring about social reform.
The fact she happens to be a woman is a bonus as it shows the machista views are no longer as prevalent and the country is moving forward. Sheinbaum being the first female to hold the presidential office is not only a step forward for the country but also serves to inspire other young girls and women to strive for higher achievements.
“I did not vote, but as a Mexican, I can say that the election of Claudia Sheinbaum as president of Mexico is a historic milestone that represents a significant advancement in gender equality,” said Fernando Lopez Duenas, a Spanish student at CPP. “Her leadership can inspire many women and girls to aspire for roles in leadership and bring new perspectives to Mexican politics.”
Lopez Duenas also mentioned how as chief of government, she implemented many notable policies such as the improvement of public transportation with Metrobús and bikeways, improvement of air quality, the urban reforestation program, advocating for women’s rights by implementing measures to combat gendered violence, including the improvement of equality in the workforce and improving the access and quality of education to name a few.
Apart from being qualified in experience and education, she is a firm leader who stands for her beliefs.
Preceding her inauguration while President López Obrador was still in office, he sent letters to both the king of Spain, King Felipe VI, and Pope Francis asking them to apologize for the actions and crimes taken against the Indigenous peoples during the conquering of Mexico.
According to a BBC News Mundo article, Obrador expressed his disagreement with the crown and the government of Spain due to a lack of an apology or even a formal and respectful response.
This later resulted in Sheinbaum uninviting the monarchy from her inauguration. She decided on only inviting the Spanish president, Pedro Sánchez Castrejón, and not King Felipe VI, but in doing so, Castrejón opted not to participate in the event.
While it is understandable the current king is not at fault for the conquering of Mexico, he still represents the crown and monarchy that is responsible. Apologizing is more so an act of good faith and recognition of the disruption of indigenous cultures and death of indigenous peoples than it is an admittance of guilt.
“From my point of view, AMLO (Andrés Manuel López Obrador) and Sheinbaum consider it to be positive to ask the Spanish monarchy to take responsibility and ask forgiveness of the Mexican Indigenous communities in regards to the crimes of colonization since it could help heal historic wounds and promote reconciliation,” Lopez Duenas said. “However, I do not think it is fair to hold responsible current generations for the actions of their ancestors. This generates a debate about justice and historical responsibility.”
During a press conference on Día de la Raza (Columbus Day), Sheinbaum once again insisted Spain issue an apology for the colonization of Mexico. She talked about how the day was meant to honor the discovery of America but failed to recognize that the Spanish did not discover America as great indigenous civilizations and cultures already resided here.
“For years, they told us they came to civilize us,” said Sheinbaum. “No, we already had great cultures here.”
It is not just an issue of accountability and responsibility, it is an issue of recognizing the wrongdoings enacted by the crown, the violence brought against the indigenous peoples and honoring the original cultures.
“I agree with this, especially because there are still people who have been discriminated against and affected by the actions of the past,” Mendez said. “A recognition of the damage they caused their ancestors would be fair.”
There was also a ceremony that took place the day of her inauguration in Mexico City called a bastón de mando involving women of various indigenous groups, where there was a spiritual cleansing. Sheinbaum showed us that as a woman and president, she stands with all of Mexico, including the marginalized communities, and will represent and protect all people.
“It just shows that she truly cares about the Indigenous community and not just our mestizo brothers and sisters, but she also cares about our full-blood Indigenous community,” said Siordia. “It’s very much appreciated.”
Feature image courtesy of Lauren Wong
