Commentators
Leticia Calzada, PRD Mexico is facing many crises, but the biggest problem facing Mexican women is violence. Women are beginning to recognize their rights and demand respect and liberty. They are increasingly demanding that representatives address their needs and issues. Politicians must begin to address the special needs of indigenous women. In addition, she foresees more interest in public life from women, and more women moving into the public arena.
Irma Cedillo, PRI Described herself as a social fighter and a teacher. There cannot be a guarantee of a continued presence of women in politics without ensuring education for all women. The destiny of women has been totally devalued, arguing that a woman often only has the value of a servant--first to her father and brothers, then to her husband, then to her children. This will continue as long as the work of men is valued over the work of women. The PRI needs to establish quotas, much like those in place at the PRD, to ensure a certain percentage of the party's ticket will be female, and that they will be running for attainable seats. These quotas would undoubtedly increase the participation of women in politics.
Amalia García, PRD Called for a reform of the state and its government. She asked rhetorically, "What can women do to help reform?" She answered, "We have to ensure that change and reform become a reality." García emphasized that democracy does not mean the same thing for men and women, and that any political changes will absolutely have to include reform of the executive branch of government. In addition, more decisions should be made by referendum, by the people, because "the people should be able to make decisions and have their voices heard every day, not just the day they vote."
In the social and public sphere, a radical transformation is necessary. The Mexican schedule, especially, needs to be changed. Liberty also needs to be defended. García defined liberty to mean that a woman doesn't have to ask for permission to do something. In addition, tolerance is needed in all aspects of life.
María Teresa Gómez Mont, PAN It is not sufficient for women to just win space on political party tickets in the political arena. In addition, men have to recognize women's capacities, and women need to continue to fight for their freedom of speech. However, education is the most important and the key to the continued success of women, and they way to increase the numbers of women succeeding.
Cecilia Loría, GEM (Grupo de Educación popular con Mujeres) Unlike many of the roundtable participants, she came from more of a grassroots/NGO perspective and less of a partisan perspective. A representative democracy is fundamental for the future of Mexico. Women need to make new rules of the game of politics so that they are on a level playing field. Women should recognize their differences but work together on their similarities and on common issues, as the diputadas from all parties worked together several years ago to change the penalties for rape. In addition, Loría said that they need to make sure that promises made at UN conferences (and UT conferences) are kept once everybody returns to Mexico.
Lorena Martínez, PRI Opened by telling the crowd that many political parties "can improve democracy without having to build it on the grave of the PRI." Echoing Loría, she said that women of all parties can work together during the democratic transformation. In a social democracy, it can be ensured that all groups have access to the political process.
Ana Rosa Payán, PAN Pluralism will be very important in the future for women. She compared Mexican women to a sleeping volcano that is beginning to discover its power and strength. Payán said that women from different parties need to see each other as people and define each other less by their party affiliation. In addition to women of different parties finding common ground, women and men need to respect each other, to stop fighting each other, and to work together.
Esperanza Morelos Borja, PAN Mexico needs just laws regarding women. Mexico already has good laws, but they need to be enforced. An increased emphasis on human rights is necessary, every individual liberty and equality need to be respected in Mexico, regardless of gender. She also said that there needs to be a discussion about painful subjects that are normally ignored, such as the abuse and exploitation of children, hunger, and continued economic inequality. Her view of party quotas differed from the PRIistas and PRDistas. Quotas only make women be viewed as tokens and leads to more fragmentation. Women of all parties need to get over their differences and work together for change for the good of the country and their fellow mexicanas.
Politics need to be addressed at the municipal level, especially since this is the level where there are the most women. "We need to be the protagonists of life in Mexico," she said, "not just the spectators."
Alma Elisa Reyes de Rizzo, PRI
The experience of Nuevo León proved that a change of ruling party doesn't mean a change in the way government works. She described female unity across partisan lines as positive, and the presence of women in government improving the quality of government.
Rosario Robles, PRD Mexico is in a crucial moment. The potential change is more than electoral; it will impact all aspects of life. In a country marked by authoritarianism and clientelism, the difference that plurality and diversity can make are huge. There is still a long way to go, reminding the crowd that
-women often are given pregnancy tests when applying for jobs
-women often are paid less than men
-women often are denied access to credit and economic and technical assistance
-one out of three homes are headed by women
-thousands of women die annually from back-alley unsafe abortions
-illiteracy is still common among many women
-women are still objectified by the media
-indigenous women are treated like a war prize by the military
The fight for liberty and equality that was begun by their mothers and grandmothers still continues today. However, women need to stop establishing false obstacles among themselves.
Discussion
Question The first question addressed the issue of domestic workers. Elsa Chaney asked the panel if they would be willing to extend their hand to domestics who have taken over their places in the home?
Question Patricia Ruiz Anchondo stated that women's issues are one of the few things that has so much consensus in Mexico. Her question was if it was possible to include in the future agenda of the Mexican Congress the formation of a women's caucus. The establishment of a congressional caucus was discussed at the roundtable, and several of the women vowed to work on creating one when they returned to Mexico City.
Question Emma Wieker stated that if we want equality then we need to start with equality in the home. We need to take politics into the home. She was glad to hear the discussion about the importance of educating women. Wanted to know about the unknown women?
Question Kathi Mock asked the panel what they foresaw as developing out of this conference.
Replies by the panelist members to questions and comments from the audience
Sara Lovera Responding to Chaney's comments There is a legislative agenda concerning domestic work. We do not particularly like it when you say that they have replaced us; we pay them and we treat them fairly.
Amalia García Stated that she thought the idea of a women's caucus to be interesting and compared the idea to the Black caucus in the United States. She urged the women present to coordinate a lunch or a meeting upon their return to Mexico in order to talk about two or three issues and come up with a women's national platform.
Rosario Robles Let's not put up false barriers between us. Women are the ones "in the trenches" and we should be able to come together.
Lorena Martínez We need to take these issues to communities. I have been at the D.F. for two years, and when I was in Aguascalientes I never heard about gender and feminism. If we don't take these issues back to our communities, then these issues will stay in the clouds.
Esperanza Borja Women have an important role in politics, but we can't push them where they do not want to go. We know that women participate in the municipalities more, and if we rescue the municipalities we will help more women. Another important point we have to make sure that women don't have to decide between family and work.
Ana Lilia Cepeda We need to all get together back in Mexico and talk about quotas.
Ana Rosa Payán We talk a lot and do little, but the last two days have really served to bring us together. I know that my perspectives on women have changed. It has been remarkable for us to be able to talk to each other for the first time, and to reflect on what each other has to say. Perhaps we should suggest to Subcomandante Marcos and President Zedillo that they, too, come to Austin to talk to each other.
Esperanza Borja Payán is right; it is hard for women from the provinces, but we can go back to our constituents and talk about the issues. We also need to make a greater effort to get the NGOs involved in our communities.