Insights from Bloomberg, Este Pais, Al Jazeera and Foreign Policy
The news
Mexico will elect its first female president this weekend; former mayor of Mexico City Claudia Sheinbaum leads in the polls, while former senator Xóchitl Gálvez trails behind.
The elections would mark a milestone for gender equality in the country, and come at a time when gender inequality and security are top priorities for voters. More than 2.5 million women work in the largely unregulated domestic labor sector, where they often experience abuse. At the same time, the number of missing persons in Mexico now exceeds 110,000 and the number of homicides has increased.
SIGNALS
Outgoing President López Obrador has voters longing for security
Mexico’s current president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), implemented policies that significantly reduced the poverty rate, but his security record has deteriorated, leaving voters wanting more from the next president. During the 2018 campaign, AMLO promised to investigate missing persons cases, but some families have accused him of “focusing more on burnishing his own image than achieving substantive results,” Al Jazeera noted. Government funds, meanwhile, have favored infrastructure projects, while homicides have increased. Some mothers of missing children said they were ambivalent and “didn’t believe anything” during the search.
A female president does not necessarily have to have a feminist agenda
Although two female candidates are leading the race, “it is unclear how much this will change the reality of working women in the country,” according to the Associated Press. Gender pay and influence gaps still exist in Mexico, with only 47% of women active in the workforce, compared to 76% of men, while 2.5 million domestic workers – many of whom are women are – living in a form of ‘modern slavery’. .” A woman in the national palace does not mean they will prioritize equality, abortion rights advocate Ninde MolRe wrote in Este Pais, while others “have used political positions to get where they are, but they must adhere to party discipline .”
Sheinbaum’s track record suggests where she might diverge from AMLO’s legacy
Election frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum has tackled gender issues in Mexico City very differently than the federal government, including creating more daycare centers and overseeing a decline in the murders of women and girls. She has also promised to appoint more female lawyers to prosecutors’ offices and tackle domestic violence, Foreign Policy reports. Analysts say Sheinbaum, a trained physicist, could also pursue more climate change-oriented policies. While Sheinbaum has largely chosen not to speak about specific security policies during presidential debates, El Universal noted that she could also expand the National Guard’s capacity as first responders.
