What the US Can Learn from Mexico on Women’s Issues – Ms. Magazine

Mexicos track record of promoting women in politics puts to shame the so-called advanced democracies that have fallen behind, write Hinojosa and Piscopo. Pictured: Police officers in Mexico City on March 8, International Womens Day. (Astrid Espinosa Perera / Flickr)

The United States is now bracketed by neighbors practicing international affairs with a feminist twist.

In 2017, Canada adopted afeminist international assistance policy, designed to promote feminism and the rights of women and girlsincluding abortion rightsabroad. And in January 2020, Mexico became the first Latin American country to announce a feminist foreign policy.

Canadas move seems predictable, given that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau projects a feminist image, includingat the United Nations. When asked why he appointed a cabinet with gender parityone with half men and half womenhe famously quipped, Its 2015.

Whats less well known is Mexicos exceptional track record on gender equality.The U.S. actually has much to learn from its southern neighbor when it comes to ensuring womens access to political office.

Mexican women hold 48 percent of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 49 percent in the Senate. In the global rankings of womens representation in Congress, Mexico is first in Latin America and fourth in the world, outpacing famously egalitarian countries like Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

Mexico achieved this distinction following nearly three decades of policy reforms that required political parties to run women candidates. In 2014, the country reformed the Constitution to require gender parity in the federal Congress and in the state legislatures.

Gender parity reaches all levels and branches of the Mexican government. Mayors and municipal council members are elected under parity rules in most states. The left-wing president, Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador (known as AMLO),appointed the countrys first gender paritycabinet in 2018.

Mexicos feminist foreign policy also emerges from concerted efforts to elevate women inside the bureaucracy, one that predates the left turn heralded by AMLOs election. The previous centrist president appointed a woman Minister of International Relations, Claudia Ruiz Massieu. Among her signature projects was Pro-Equality, which increased Mexicos support for international womens rights treaties and promoted women within the ministry. Today,56 percentof foreign service staffers are women.

Mexico knows that having a feminist foreign policy is a real thing. Sweden pioneered the approach in 2014, which means prioritizing gender equality and womens rights when negotiating internationally. For instance, Sweden ensures that womens voices and interests are represented when setting aid priorities and brokering aid deals. Though initiallymet with skepticism, the approachgained popularity.

Norwayhas made womens role in peace and security central to its foreign policy goals, and France practices feminist diplomacy. The United Kingdoms Centre for Feminist Foreign Policyhas led conversations aboutthe gendered dimensions of Brexit.

Here atMs., our team is continuing to report throughthis global health crisisdoing what we can to keep you informed andup-to-date on some of the most underreported issues of thispandemic.Weask that you consider supporting our work to bring you substantive, uniquereportingwe cant do it without you. Support our independent reporting and truth-telling for as little as $5 per month.

True, Mexicos dismal record on violence against women may cause many to doubt the sincerity of policymakers waving the feminist flag. Approximately10 women are killed in Mexico each day.

Earlier this year, some especially grisly femicides provoked so much outrage that activists coordinated a Day without Women. Thousands of women across the country refused to show up for work on March 9,shuttering everythingfrom nail salons to subway ticket counters.

But more women in leadership at home and a feminist foreign policy abroad help amplify activists anger, keeping violence against women on the governments agenda. Women legislators recently staged a protest against femicide,standing barefootin the Congresss lower house and blocking business from occurring. At the border, Mexicolauncheda certificate program that trains police in the prevention of femicide,a joint endeavorwith the United States and the UN Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Overall, womens presence in office shapes how countries signal their foreign policy priorities. Countries moving away from war and towards peaceare more likely to selectwomen defense ministers.

When Sweden was the sole country practicing feminist diplomacy, their ambassador to the United Nations said he wasthe only oneasking where the women were, why they werent seated around the table or being mentioned in resolutions.

In January, Mexicos vice-chancellor Martha Delgadoadded her voice, demanding more women in diplomatic negotiations to enrich debates and reach better solutions.

In adopting a feminist foreign policy, Mexico joins conversations on gender equality that are usually monopolized by wealthy nations in Scandinavia and Western Europe. Yet Mexicos track record of promoting women in politics domestically means it belongs in that rarefied cluband puts to shame the so-called advanced democracies that have fallen behind.

Like the United States. The U.S. ranks 76thin the world for electing women to Congress, sharing the spot with Cape Verde and Afghanistan. Every Republican president since Reagan has adopted the global gag rule, which prevents U.S. foreign aid from supporting any programs or organizations that support abortions.

President Obama created an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Womens Issues, but the Trump administration left the post vacant for three years, finally appointing Kelley Eckels Currie in January. Currie is an expert on security policy in Asia and the Pacific, butactivist organizations point outthat she has no experience with womens rights.

Having a feminist foreign policy in place allows elected officials, diplomats and foreign service staffers to set high expectations for the treatment of women both at home and abroad. Mexico has work to do when it comes to improving womens rights, but with more women in office, the country is pursuing gender equality.

Its Mexiconot the United Statesnow setting a hemispheric and even global agenda on womens issues.

Editors note: An earlier version appeared in Mexicos daily newspaperEl Mileniounder the headline Ms mujeres en la poltica exterior Mexicana on March 7, 2020. The piece is revised and updated, but portions are reprinted fromEl Mlieniowith permission.

The coronavirus pandemic and the response by federal, state and local authorities is fast-moving.During this time,Ms. is keeping a focus on aspects of the crisisespecially as it impacts women and their familiesoften not reported by mainstream media.If you found this article helpful,please consider supporting our independent reporting and truth-telling for as little as $5 per month.

Go here to see the original:
What the US Can Learn from Mexico on Women's Issues - Ms. Magazine