The start of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency in Mexico has been a long time coming. Not only was she elected in a landslide victory nearly four months ago, but the primary elections that set her on a relatively certain glide path to the nation’s highest office took place more than a year ago. That has meant well over a year of media coverage, as well as speculation among political pundits about what Sheinbaum’s record as mayor of Mexico City until last year might tell us about what to expect from her as president.
Much of the media focus has been on the historic nature of Sheinbaum’s presidency, as she is now Mexico’s first female leader. That is a landmark achievement for the country, and not something she has shied away from emphasizing in her campaign and as president-elect: “It’s women’s time” has even become her mantra. As Sheinbaum herself has noted, her success is also a testament to Mexico’s gender parity rules for public office, which over the past two decades have rapidly advanced women’s political representation in the country.
Still, while the de jure advances are impressive, representation in office doesn’t automatically mean advances for gender equality in society writ large. And women in Mexico continue to face persistent economic challenges, particularly barriers to labor force participation, and high levels of violence.