Citizenship and women in Mexico: Seaching for a new political culture? Views and experiences of participants and non-participants in political action

• Mexico has finally left behind the era of the one party-system to start its career on a multi-party track where stability may be sacrificed to the legitimacy provided by democratic elections. To a great extent this transformation is the fruit of general dissatisfaction with the official party. The first expressions of this unrest were seen in the 1980s with the awakening of civil society in Mexico. And, in this awakening, women’s participation has been particularly relevant. It is mostly women who participated in the new urban movements of the 1990s. Through their work in all kinds of organizations, from the housing activists to the feminists and even the armed movements, women are playing a new role that implies a serious transformation in the political culture and gender relationships. Furthermore, women’s demands have given the Zapatista movement one of its main features in comparison with other Indian or guerrilla movements in Mexico or Latin America. Even women who do not participate in political action share somehow the awareness of certain problems, of the need to change, to democratize and to transform gender relations. In our research we have looked at what notions these women – participants and non-participants – have of con- cepts such as citizenship and democracy. Are participant women trying to enter the system or are they aiming to change it? Have non-participant women similar notions to the participants in respect of gender issues and the need for a new political culture? In this paper I argue that both participants and non-participants share the view of an authoritarian system that needs to be changed. They also agree on the importance of participation in order to realize these changes, in order to achieve citizenship – understood as rights and obligations towards the community and as an awareness of, and responsibility for, public affairs. And they agree on the qualities women may need to contribute to transform this system. This paper is a presentation of some of the partial results of our research into women’s urban and rural movements and citizenship in Mexico. It is also a continuation of the articles already published, or in process of being published, within the framework of the project (Domínguez and Castro, 1998, Domínguez, 1998). Taking as the point of departure some theoretical reflections on the concepts of gender and citizenship, and the most recent and relevant events as to the political participation of women in Mexico, I will present some of the empirical material on urban women that I have been able to gather at the end of 1998, the beginning of 1999 and, most recently, in June-July 2000.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Genusstudier (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Gender Studies (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Statsvetenskap -- Statsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Political Science -- Political Science (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Mexico

women

gender

citizenship

political action

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kap (ämneskategori)