Within the last decade, Mexico´s federal electoral courts have taken unprecedented steps to promote affirmative action in favor of women´s political participation. At the federal, state, and municipal levels, this has largely meant rulings that support legislation on gender-based quotas for public posts. A stumbling block to this affirmative action initiative has been the predominately indigenous municipalities that hold local elections through tradition and custom instead of universal suffrage and secret ballot. Legally recognized as part of indigenous people´s collective right to self-determination, election through custom and tradition has been difficult to fit into existing juridical logics of gender equality. In the past three years, however, a growing number of electoral conflicts appealed to the federal courts have brought the question of indigenous women´s political participation to the forefront. I examine several of these cases to explore how the courts mediate between the question of collective self-determination and individual women´s rights, how they seek to promote a liberal notion of gender equality, and how women and communities are responding to their rulings in unexpected ways. I argue that what is at stake is more than just women´s political participation; rather, these rulings reflect contemporary contestations over gender, indigeneity, modernity, and democracy in Mexico more broadly.
Holly Worthen is a Professor at the Instituto de Investigaciones Sociológicas at the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. She received her Phd in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work focuses on gender, migration, development and indigenous politics.
Furthering our exploration of Mexico through the "¡Viva Mexico!," Passport to the World Program, the University of Kentucky Libraries introduces us to the whimsical folk art of Alebrijes from Oaxaca, Mexico. These carved and decorated figures of animals can be found in the William T. Young Library. In this podcast, Francie Chassen-Lopez, co-chair of the "¡Viva Mexico!" Program and a professor in the Department of History, and Dara Vance, a graduate student within the Department of History, discuss the history and production of Alebrije and what can be found in the exhibit. Head to the William T. Young library to check out the exhibit and take a photo of your favorite Alebrije - don’t forget to share online and tag as #vivamexico to share it with your friends and the University! Click for more information about alebrije or the exhibit.
For students who may have recently dropped a class or hope to pick up some extra credit hours, these courses provide flexibility after the regular registration period.
In recent years, the "Passport to the World" program has taken UK to South Africa, China, and Russia, and will celebrate its fourth year by focusing on Mexico. Professors Francie Chassen-Lopez (History) and Chris Pool (Anthropology) are teaming up to coordinate and plan this year’s activities. In this podcast, they talk about what makes Mexico unique and what sorts of events to look for in the coming year.
Durante los últimos años, el programa “Passport to the World” a llevado a UK a países como Sur África, China y Rusia. Este año, “Passport to the World” nos llevará a México. Los profesores Francie Chassen-Lopez (History) y Chris Pool (Anthropology) unieron fuerzas para coordinar y planear las actividades de este ano. En este podcast, Chris y Francie nos cuentan sobre aspectos únicos de México, así como también nos familiarizan con el tipo de actividades que se realizarán durante el año.
