Women and self-government in an indigenous territory: Oaxaca, Mexico

  • Verónica Vázquez García Colegio de Postgraduados, México
Keywords: gender, political participation, municipal government, autonomy, native peoples.

Abstract

The recognition of Usos y Costumbres as a form of self-government in the municipalities of Oaxaca, Mexico, is an important achievement for native peoples. However, women’s participation inpositions of power remains a challenge. This paper has two objectives: 1) to analyze the factors that contribute to women’s destitution from the mayoralty; 2) to identify the strategies that some of them use to stay in power. Interviews were conducted with all elected female mayors in a ten-year period (1999-2009). Three actors intervene in women’s permanence or destitution: the assembly, the town council and political parties. The second is the most difficult one for women. Some of the strategies used by them to remain in power are: to rely on the assembly as a source of legitimacy; to negotiate government portfolios with council members; to obtain funds and establish links with the state governor.

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Published
2014-12-16
How to Cite
Vázquez García, Verónica. 2014. “Women and Self-Government in an Indigenous Territory: Oaxaca, Mexico”. Eutopía, Revista De Desarrollo Y Territorio, no. 5 (December), 51-65. https://doi.org/10.17141/eutopia.5.2014.1488.