UUFSMA: Women in Political Transition

Journalist Laura Carlsen examines the progress of women under the new administration of Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) at this week’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Service.

Obrador came into office on the promise, among other things, of gender equality in government. In numbers, it has complied; the MORENA-dominated Congress and the new cabinet have made history by being comprised of close to half women. Mexico’s government is now one of the most equal in the world in terms of women’s representation.

But we know that parity is not enough to fight patriarchy, especially in a country with a deep-seated macho culture and epidemic levels of violence against women. So far, the government’s demonstrated commitment to advancing women’s rights and well-being has been erratic and caused some confusion. The withdrawal of subsidies for women’s shelters sent up an outcry, although it was later explained that funding would continue. There is concern that other vital services to address violence will be cut back in the face of austerity measures and indications that the new government has emphasized women in government over real policy change.

The major speeches of AMLO’s new administration seldom mention gender equality or women’s rights, and there have been few major policy announcements in this area. The agenda for women’s equality is long and urgent: guaranteeing full exercise of citizenship and access to politics on all levels, gender perspectives in policy and implementation, an end to sexual abuse and harassment, and the elimination of violence against women in all spheres. Do the policies and actions of the new government reflect the commitment to gender justice? What has been done and what more needs to be done?

Laura Carlsen is currently the director of the Americas Program of the Center for International Policy and holds an interdisciplinary Bachelors Degree in women’s studies and a Masters in Latin American Studies from Stanford University. She has written extensively on Mexican politics and gender justice and is an advisor to the Global Fund for Women, the Nobel Women’s Initiative and Just Associates, an international feminist movement-building organization, and a founding member of the Mexican Network of Women Human rights Defenders. She will also speak to the Center for Global Justice on Obrador’s first four months in office this Saturday at the Biblioteca Publica.

For more information about the UUFSMA, including our Children’s Religious Education program, Social Action outreach, weekly discussion groups, social activities, and Care Team, join us any Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the Hotel La Aldea or check out our website at uufsma.org.