Mexico is set to elect its first female president in 2024, as both the ruling party Morena and the opposition coalition have chosen women as their candidates.
Claudia Sheinbaum, a former mayor of Mexico City and a close ally of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, won the Morena nomination over five men, including Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who contested the results.
Xóchitl Gálvez, a senator and a businesswoman with an Indigenous background, became the opposition candidate after another contender withdrew.
Both women have impressive credentials and appeal to different segments of the electorate. The election will be historic for Mexico, a country that has struggled with gender inequality and violence against women.
Sheinbaum, 59, is an environmental engineer and a scientist who has worked on climate change and renewable energy projects. She was the first woman to be elected as the mayor of Mexico City in 2018, and has been praised for her management of the coronavirus pandemic and her social programs.
Sheinbaum said she was “very happy to be part of this historic moment for Mexico” and that she was “convinced that we can transform this country with honesty, justice and love”.
She has the backing of López Obrador, who is widely popular among the poor and rural voters, but also faces criticism for his handling of the economy, security and corruption.
Gálvez, 57, is an engineer and a former director of Hewlett-Packard in Mexico. She is a member of the conservative National Action Party (PAN) and has been a vocal critic of López Obrador’s policies. She is also an advocate for Indigenous rights, women’s empowerment and environmental protection.
Gálvez said she was “not here to be a puppet of anyone” and that she was “here to defend the interests of the people”. She said she wanted to offer “a different vision of Mexico, one that is inclusive, diverse and respectful of human rights”.
She has the support of a coalition of opposition parties, which includes the center-right PAN, the center-left Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and the centrist Citizens’ Movement (MC).
The coalition hopes to capitalize on its success in the June 2021 midterm elections, when it reduced Morena’s majority in Congress and won several governorships and mayoralties.
The presidential race between Sheinbaum and Gálvez is expected to be tight and polarized, as both candidates represent different visions of Mexico’s future.
Martha Delgado, a former deputy foreign minister and a supporter of Sheinbaum, said this was “a great opportunity for Mexico to show the world that we are a modern and progressive nation, that we value the contributions of women in all spheres of life, and that we are ready for a change”.
Jorge Castañeda, a former foreign minister and a political analyst, said both candidates had “their own merits and challenges” and that they shared some common goals, such as fighting corruption, reducing poverty and improving security.
Belén Sanz, the representative of UN Women in Mexico, said Mexico had made “significant strides in advancing gender equality in government”, but there was still “a long way to go”. She said more women were needed in decision-making positions, not only in politics, but also in business, academia, media and civil society.
Relevant articles:
– Women win Mexican primaries; one is likely to be first female president, The Washington Post, September 6, 2023
– Mexico likely to get first female president after top parties choose women candidates, ABC News, September 7, 2023
– Mexico is likely to have its first female president after top parties choose 2 women as candidates, Local 10 News, September 7, 2023
– Mexico’s presidential election takes historic turn after both major parties select female candidates, MSN, September 7, 2023
– Mexico on track for first woman president as second female frontrunner joins race, MSN, September 7, 2023
– How Mexico Became a Gender Equality Leader in Government, Time, September 7, 2023