New Opportunities: Claudia Sheinbaum's Presidency and the Future of Mexico’s Gender Policy

Claudia Sheinbaum’s election as Mexico’s president has captured global attention for several reasons. Mexico is the world’s 12th largest economy. Sheinbaum secured a decisive victory, garnering nearly 60% of the vote; she is the first woman to assume the presidency in over 200 years of Mexican independence—all within the context of a deep national crisis of gender-based violence. 

In recent decades, the world has seen a rise of women to power, with gender quota laws in Latin America and 13 of the world’s 20 largest economies having witnessed female leaders. Although Sheinbaum was not Mexico’s first female presidential candidate, her presidency has sparked diverse reactions in Mexico, ranging from unfortunate instances of sexism to critical feminist perspectives, as well as the enthusiastic support of younger generations and women’s organizations who see Sheinbaum´s rise to power as a moment of direct representation in government. 

Although the presence of a woman in leadership does not automatically ensure positive change, empirical evidence underscores the broader impact of having more women in public decision-making roles. This shift is associated with higher economic growth, improved gender equality, and greater social investment in education, healthcare, and environmental protection. 

Therefore, the start of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency presents a valuable opportunity for more than 69 million Mexican women. Women often encounter distinct challenges, such as unequal distribution of labor, political violence, gender-based power hierarchies, indirect mechanisms of discrimination, and persistent stereotypes that limit their ability to realize their full potential. Acknowledging these obstacles at this critical juncture opens the door to exploring long-term strategies and pathways to dismantle gender inequality.  

Sheinbaum’s leadership could become a catalyst for reimagining policies long upheld by the Mexican government, especially in the context of US-Mexico relations. As we navigate this new chapter, the potential for positive transformation in the bilateral relationship looms large, making Sheinbaum’s presidency an important milestone for Mexico and its relationship with the world. 

In this interview, the Mexico Institute’s Isabel Rubio talks with Carin Zissis, a 2024-2025 Wilson fellow investigating the paradoxes of political gender parity in Mexico. They discuss how we can bridge the gap between formal equality and genuine material equality. 

Women's Political Representation in Mexico 

Like many countries in the region, Mexico started adopting gender parity quotas in the 1990s, which gradually increased the minimum threshold for women’s representation, culminating in the "Parity in Everything" reform of 2019. During this regulatory evolution, women seeking government positions faced obstacles such as the "Juanitas" phenomenon1 and, more broadly, the reality that political parties and institutions do not change overnight. 

Q: Isabel: Carin, firstly, thank you so much for your time. With Claudia Sheinbaum’s ascent to Mexico´s presidency, it might seem that progress in female political representation is inevitable and that political parity reforms have been largely successful. It seems like the bridge between building substantive and formal equality is still pending, however, this is not obvious for everyone. In this scenario, what's your opinion? Why do these topics matter and why should we continue addressing them? 

A: Carin: Thank you for the invitation. With the election of Sheinbaum as the new president, I think there are a few things to keep in mind. Mexico, in terms of women's political representation, has achieved parity in Congress, and women now hold top positions in public office. So much has been achieved, and we can celebrate that.  

However, we also know that there's a gap between the laws and the implementation, and between women's political representation and women’s daily life. One of the more visible, ongoing problems is violence against women, with ten women murdered every day in Mexico. So, even though the women’s movement has been very strategic in working to pass laws, there is still a need to stem violence and close economic gender gaps.  

In the case of Mexico's new President Claudia Sheinbaum, there has been a lot of discussion about whether she will continue the policies of her predecessor and mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. One way she has distinguished herself is by talking a great deal about how her presidency represents the “time for women” (“el tiempo de las mujeres”).   

On October 3, within her first few days of taking office, she presented a series of legal reforms that look at closing gaps between men and women to build equality. The reform proposals modify six constitutional articles covering substantive equality, including gender perspective, the right to live free of violence, and taking steps to close the pay gap between men and women.  

Now, these laws are similar to or build on laws already on the books. The challenge now is to implement measures to bring these laws to fruition. So, we have to see what happens. 

Q: Isabel: What do you think is currently needed to create effective and accountable representation? Of course, having a female president is a good sign that the measures already adopted have been effective in some way, but what do you think could be done in building this substantive equality and closing that gap that you mentioned between the law and the reality and political representation? 

A: Carin: Just because we have a woman president the challenges are not going to disappear overnight and just because there is parity in Congress doesn’t mean the problem is solved. Mexico has made incredible advances for women's rights and laws aiming for women's rights over the past three decades, but it takes time to change culture and to implement changes.  

For example, there is now a lot of discussion in Mexico about developing a national care system, which would follow in the path of the kind of measures we’re seeing in other part of Latin America. The Sheinbaum government says it will start by launching a pilot project for women in Ciudad Juárez and for agricultural workers. This and other local-level initiatives seek to alleviate a heavy burden primarily carried by Mexican women charged with the unpaid labor of taking care of children, parents, and other family members. Mexican women spend more hours per day on unpaid labor than in any other OECD country. Performing that type of work limits their ability to enter the workforce and gain economic independence. It also potentially affects their chances of escaping abusive relationships.  

All of these issues are deeply connected to the pay gap and violence. Solving these challenges requires comprehensive policy initiatives to achieve social equality and could be complemented by other policies, like implementing more flexible work hours that can make it easier for woman to join, stay in, and advance in the workforce. It’s important that it’s become normalized for women to achieve leadership. But there is still the need to close these gaps from the ground.  

Q: Isabel: I totally agree with your approach towards changing things from the ground. It is not only about changing the law, but also the culture, how we distribute work, which is deeply divided by gender roles. These are only some examples of what might sound very theoretical but that affect our everyday lives. As you said, Claudia Sheinbaum has announced several reforms and already started with the six constitutional articles you mentioned. She set some ambitious goals, including achieving gender balance in cabinets and ensuring that 50% of the country's municipal mayors are women by the end of her term (2030). But something that worries me is how violence is very embedded in Mexican politics. What are your thoughts on political violence against women? And do you believe Sheinbaum´s reforms could address such an issue? 

For example, the data shows that the June 2024 election was one of the most violent in Mexican history. There was a recent case of a journalist who posted a deepfake of a female politician, starting a conversation on cyber violence against women in politics. Women are facing political violence not only as gender-based violence but in a broader context of insecurity in Mexico. Do you think Sheinbaum’s proposal is enough to deal with this problem so far?   

A: Carin: We talked a little bit about how these new reform proposals were built on past laws. Again, the important thing is not just to pass more laws but to make sure that they are implemented and enforced. So the reforms need to be accompanied by public policies that can deliver results.  

Interestingly, one of the laws that was more difficult to pass in recent years in Mexico was legislation combating political violence against women. It finally passed in 2020 and while that’s positive, we go back to this issue of the gap between the legislation and the implementation. We have more women entering politics, but not necessarily enforcement of laws to protect them from violence as candidates or when they’re holding public office. And, as we know, more women are facing threats online, not only in Mexico but in other countries. As women take office, they tend to face more online threats, more physical threats, and their abilities are constantly questioned. Faced with these threats, they may then question whether to stay in or seek public office.  

In sum, there is a lot more work to do, otherwise new laws targeting gender-based violence will just be aspirational. Now it’s important to set and reach achievable goals. 

This interview was edited for length and clarity.