Introduction

Mexico’s choose a woman President, Claudia Sheinbaum in machismo world

History

There are several key factors that contributed to Mexico electing its first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum:
 

Gender parity laws and reforms:

Mexico has implemented a series of reforms over the past 30 years to increase women’s political representation.

 In 1996, a law recommended at least 30% female candidates for legislative positions. This became mandatory in 2002 and increased to 40% by 2008.

  A 2014 amendment mandated gender parity for federal and local legislative candidates.

 In 2019, a constitutional reform called “Paridad en todo” (parity in everything) mandated 50% representation for women across all branches of government.

Changing attitudes:

 By March 2024, 61% of Mexicans said they would prefer a woman as their next president, compared to only 14% preferring a man.

 This shift in public opinion reflects the success of gender parity measures and changing cultural attitudes.

 Strong female candidates:

 Both front-runners in the 2024 election were women, ensuring Mexico would elect its first female president.

  Sheinbaum won with a landslide victory, capturing 59.75% of the vote - the highest percentage in Mexico’s democratic history.

Continuation of popular policies:

  Sheinbaum was seen as a continuation of outgoing President López Obrador’s popular social welfare policies.

 Her victory was viewed as a referendum on López Obrador’s term and policies that have helped reduce poverty.

 Strategic efforts by women across political lines:

 Women from civil society, academia, media, and government worked together to win support for gender parity measures and close loopholes in existing laws.

Gradual progress in women’s political representation:

Women’s representation in Mexico’s national congress has grown from single digits 30 years ago to parity today.

Over half of Congress members and nearly a third of governors are now women.

Broader societal changes:

 Mexico has undergone significant social, institutional, and cultural changes regarding gender parity and women’s participation in public positions.

Conclusion

Mexico’s election of a woman president is the result of decades of deliberate efforts to increase women’s political representation, changing cultural attitudes, and the emergence of strong female candidates who built on popular policies. The success of gender parity measures in Mexico has created a political landscape where women’s leadership at the highest level has become not only possible but widely accepted and supported by the electorate.