Ariel Alejandro Ureña Morales

402

FEMINISM IN MEXICO
The 20th century, a century of war, revolution and insurgency: World War I and World War II, the Mexican
Revolution, the Russian Revolution, Chinese Revolution, and Cuban Revolution, to mention a few
examples. Among these insurgencies, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Ejército Zapatista de
Liberación Nacional, EZLN) insurgency led to raising awareness, to unveil inequalities, and to
demonstrate all of us that there were social sectors forgotten in our society: “the others”. Among the
social movements born in the 60s, feminism has been one of the most important because it contributed to
shift and transform people’s mindset and customs around the world.

May 9 1971, in Mexico City, made an appearance the first group which would eventually lead to the first
Mexican feminist movement: Women in Solidary Action (Mujeres en Acción Solidaria, MAS). Many things
have happened since then; and today we are here to talk about this social movement: A movement in
which women organize surrounding claims and unconformities regarding their rights; whose
characteristics have revolved around an organization which tries to pursue common goals through
collective action.

However, these feminist trends have not had a common organized expression, so it has not been
possible to define them only through the diversity of interests and adopted ways of expression. As Rosi
Braidotti mentioned: “from the complex web and multi-purpose of meaning-making groups, we are able to
detect common ground areas or coalitions of interests which transform the movement into a political
machine ruled by the common will dedicated to improving the status of women”.

Well, according to many participating authors in this book we are commenting, feminism is defined in
several ways: “as a speech, political practice and claim of women rights in order to achieve equality”, as
said by Jennifer Cooper (p. 97). “Feminism is within itself practical philosophy”, states Francesca Gargallo
(p. 123). “(Feminism) represents one of the most important social movements in the history of Western
societies of 20th century”, adds Margarita Velázquez (p. 125). “Pursuit of a quality life for women”,
expresses María Consuelo Mejía (p. 192).

This collective book that today bring us together is composed of 27 articles and it was coordinated by
Griselda Gutiérrez Castañeda, and it is a result of a symposium with the same name: Feminism in
México, Critical-Historical Revision of an Ending Century. This symposium was organized in October
2000 by UNAM (National Autonomous University of México) University Program of Gender Studies
(Programa Universitario de Estudios de Género, PUEG). The text is divided into 10 topics, where we can
read the reflections of 29 diverse female authors: philosophers, anthropologists, sociologists, scholars,
historians, economists, artists, politicians; most of them related to feminism and summoned to think about
this called new wave: a second wave known as neo-feminism or post-feminism, and its repercussions.

This book treats unresolved matters and addresses the difficulties women are still facing in our country.
The feminist utopia is endless: while it has achieved to us women to be more noticeable —Vicente Fox,
former president of Mexico, always referred to us mexicans as “men and women”—, the right to make
decisions about our own bodies, free access to abortions, abuses, family violence, harassment, in other
words, sexual violence as a result of gender inequalities, keeps on targeting women. The consistent
femicides occurred in Ciudad Juárez are represent one of the most undeniable examples of this sexual
violence.

What is the best way to disclose the feminist premises? What is the best way to counter
misinformation? How to respond to dominant ideologies’ interpretation? What are the challenges to
overcome in this millennium? How do we make ourselves heard?
While this movement has permeated in multiple political and social spaces, and it has reached women
from different social backgrounds, feminism has not yet managed to transcend among young women.
This phenomenon might be a result of a reality in which young women are benefiting from the achieved
changes and “think” it is unnecessary to claim the oppression and inequalities. Nevertheless, it is
necessary to emphasize the impact and results achieved from the feminist movement in the social and
cultural representation of women in society.

This book does not answer all the questions, but it helps to clarify the path followed by this movement in a
quest to overcome the barriers of inequality. The different ways to do it concerns it is up to all of us.

Source: http://www.uam.mx/difusion/revista/feb2003/lau.html