[News Figures] Sheinbaum Aims to Become Mexico's First Female Leader in 200 Years in the 'Macho Nation'

All Parties Likely to Field Female Candidates Before June Presidential Election Next Year
No Female President in 200 Years Since Federal Government Established
Common Background in STEM Fields...Jewish vs Indigenous Origins Difference

As Mexico prepares for its presidential election in June next year, the world is paying close attention to the possibility of the country electing its first female president in 200 years since the establishment of the federal government. Expectations are rising as both the ruling and opposition parties in Mexico, a Latin American country known for its strong male chauvinism, are likely to nominate female candidates.

According to the Associated Press and other sources on the 6th (local time), Claudia Sheinbaum (61), former mayor of Mexico City and the leading candidate in opinion polls, is the frontrunner for the ruling party Movimiento Regeneraci?n Nacional's (Morena) next presidential candidate. She reportedly leads Marcelo Ebrard (63), former foreign minister and the second-place candidate in Morena's primary, by more than 10 percentage points. Morena, which was about to officially declare Sheinbaum as its final candidate, is currently reviewing related matters after Ebrard raised allegations of irregularities in the primary.

Former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

On the opposition side, a female candidate has already been selected and confirmed. The right-wing opposition coalition, Frente Amplio, confirmed Senator Sochitl Galvez (60) as its unified presidential candidate on the 31st of last month. Frente Amplio is a coalition of three parties, including the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), which dominated Mexican politics for over 40 years until 2000, along with the National Action Party (PAN) and the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).

What draws attention with 10 months still remaining before the Mexican presidential election is that both leading candidates are women. Since the constitution establishing the federal government in 1824, no female president has ever been elected in Mexico for 200 years.

Above all, Mexico is known as a country of "macho culture" (El Machismo), where male chauvinism is particularly strong even among Latin American countries. It was only in 2019 that the constitution was amended to include gender equality elements, reflecting the slow progress in guaranteeing women's social rights. This is why foreign media describe the fact that two women are mentioned as presidential candidates as "surprising."

Senator Sochiteul Galvez Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Besides being women, Sheinbaum and Galvez share the common background of being scientists and engineers with degrees in science and engineering fields.

Sheinbaum, who holds a Ph.D. in energy engineering, has authored books and published papers on topics such as energy, environment, and sustainable development. She participated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, and was named one of the 100 most influential women by the BBC in 2018.

Senator Galvez, an engineer with a background in computer science, founded two technology companies related to smart infrastructure systems before entering politics. Using the profits from her companies, she established a foundation to combat child malnutrition and support the economic independence of indigenous women, gaining nationwide attention.

Although Sheinbaum and Galvez share many similarities as women and STEM graduates, they differ in their upbringing and political experience.

Sheinbaum grew up in a middle-class Jewish family established by her grandparents who fled Bulgaria to Mexico to escape the Holocaust. Influenced by her father, a chemical engineer, and her mother, a biologist, Sheinbaum earned a Ph.D. in energy engineering, and her younger brother became a physicist. The entire family consists of scientists.

Galvez was born into a poor indigenous Mexican family and is known to have made and sold traditional Mexican food called tamales on the streets to support her family during her childhood. Her father was a teacher at an indigenous school and reportedly an abusive alcoholic, according to the AP. She often uses indigenous languages and frequently wears the traditional garment called huipil, worn by rural women at work, which has increased her popularity among ordinary people.

Sheinbaum has more political experience than Galvez. She began her political career in 2000 by joining the cabinet of then Mexico City Mayor Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador, who is now the president of Mexico, where she was responsible for environmental issues. Galvez started her political career in 2015 when she was elected mayor of Miguel Hidalgo. Sheinbaum was elected in 2018 as the first female and first Jewish mayor of Mexico City, while Galvez became a senator through proportional representation after losing the Mexico City Senate primary in the 2018 federal election.

Foreign media expect that crime will become a major issue once the presidential campaign intensifies. This is because the proportion of Mexicans who feel seriously concerned about security has increased significantly following recent incidents such as gang kidnappings of public officials, police car bombings, and arson attacks on mayors.

Currently, in a hypothetical head-to-head race between Sheinbaum and Galvez, Sheinbaum appears to be leading. The British magazine The Economist cited local opinion polls indicating that if the election were held now, Sheinbaum would defeat Galvez by 44 to 27 percent. Support for Sheinbaum is interpreted as stemming from the popularity of current President L?pez Obrador, which has benefited his party, Morena.

The Mexican president serves a single six-year term and is not eligible for re-election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.