Mexico Elects First Female President, Claudia Sheinbaum, Confronts Gender Challenges Head-On

Mexico City: 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 presided over Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, 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.

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, a gender employment gap and inadequate policies guaranteeing sexual and reproductive rights. Sheinbaum, 61, will need to address these after she takes office on Oct 1.

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 UN Women, up to 10 women are victims of femicide each day in Mexico. The number totalled 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.

Sexual and Reproductive Rights 

Teenage pregnancy among Mexican women and girls has raised concern.

According to official figures from 2021, the latest available, there were 147,279 births among adolescents between 15 and 19 years old, and 3,019 among girls under 15.

Mexico's Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that national laws prohibiting abortions are unconstitutional and violate women's rights, but further state-by-state legal work is pending to remove all penalties.

Twelve of Mexico's 32 states have decriminalized abortion, most of them in the past five years. A few more states allow abortion if the mother's life is in danger, and it is legal nationwide if the pregnancy is the result of rape.

In most states where it has been decriminalised, advocates say they face persistent challenges in making abortion safe, accessible and government funded.

Sheinbaum did not address the topic during her campaign.

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 labour 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%.