I grew
up in a changing world that recognized many international human rights instruments,
including of course those related to women’s human rights. Regional and
international documents would protect us from all evils. My government had
strong statements and commitments towards women, frequently repeating ‘we will
overcome gender inequalities’. I smiled, even though I was a young child, I
thought ‘this is great!’ But as years passed by and became more conscious, I
realized something was wrong. I had friends, family, educators and TV
constantly reminding me that women were only able to perform domestic activities
due to a lack of academic and professional preparation.
By
mid-2000s, I realized things were changing in Mexico. Women were becoming
lawyers, doctors, astronomers, among many other professions. Everything seemed
to be in the right path, but something kept calling my attention: women were
limitedly interested nor allowed to participate in public institutions, and the
worse part! I did not see many women working along with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs or at Kofi’s United Nations! I immediately recalled what I was told as
a child ‘women were not born to rule the world’. I felt angry, sad, but above
all, curious to find out the root causes of women’s lack of participation in
international affairs, which five years later led to another personal passion
and interest: to become a professional in International Relations.
This
now six-year passion led to identify that from all the many issues Mexico faces
in political, social, economic and cultural terms within its large and diverse
population, women and girls are among the most disproportionally and directly
affected people along with other linguistic minorities, disabled persons,
indigenous groups, children and youth. Gender inequalities in Mexico impose
great challenges to women and girls, which would hardly be tackled if
underrepresentation at the local, regional and federal levels of government
takes place.
Mexican
society has judge and discriminated its women, even though history shows us
that they have fought along with men since the Mexican Independence from Spain
in 1810 and its Revolution a hundred years later. But hey! Then you find out in
fact that women have been shaping Mexican history since pre-Hispanic times!
Yes, women have demonstrated their ability to take part in social movements and
economic structures that unfortunately were recognized until 1953, when a group
of bright and talented women under the leadership of one my sheroes Amalia
Caballero de Castillo Ledón – a prestigious Mexican diplomat, gave women the
right to participate in the Mexican political life through the right to vote
and be elected.
Despite
the inclusion of women in the Mexican political life came relatively late when
compared to other countries such as Germany (1918), Australia (1902), Bolivia
(1958), Canada (1917), Ecuador (1929), United States (1920), Finland (1906),
Ireland (1918), Mongolia (1924) and Puerto Rico (1929), these changes were a
significant step towards gender equality in Mexican institutions, but at the
same time, they presented the actual and unequal realities between men and
women in need of tangible changes in the years to come.
Since
1953, several efforts to recognize and draw attention to women’s leadership,
rights and contributions to society have been made in many arenas. However, in
political terms, Mexican culture continues to conceive and sometimes define
women as incapable of dealing with public affairs. Mexican society continues to
position men as the dominant entity in the exercise of politics, as reflected
in the limited inclusion of women in the diplomatic-consular branch of the
Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other diplomatic missions abroad.
In
general terms, contemporary diplomacy has been perceived for many years as a
male-dominated institution, which is characterized by its frequent encounters
and power struggle among its actors. For this reason, it was thought that
diplomacy –and several other institutions- were not a suitable place for women
to explore or even understand. Not very different from what I was told during
my young years. As an example of this, the Mexican government and other
diplomatic missions around the world, initially admitted women as mere
housekeeping managers, responsible for cleaning, cooking and other general
administrative tasks that did not encourage their professional development or
construct a diplomatic career.
Inside
and outside Mexico, when men were absent from diplomatic missions due health
problems, death or political reasons, women (diplomats’ wives) were in charge
of leading the work of these institutions without official recognition. They
performed their good offices and applied their academic, political, cultural,
social and economic knowledge with other missions and states. They even
celebrated agreements and assisted other diplomatic efforts, such as the case
of widow Marguerite Wolters who had to perform the diplomatic duties of the
British Consulate at Tripoli when her husband Richard Wolters died in 1771.
At the
end of the 19th century, laws that regulated the Mexican diplomatic service
strictly denied the right of women to represent their country in foreign
offices and missions. However, people with nationalities other than Mexican
were allowed to become cultural aggregates and deputy consuls, which fully
highlighted the unequal opportunities between women and men.
Also
during this period, ambassadors started to realize about the abilities,
knowledge, linguistic variety and executive practices that women managed
appropriately, and for this reason, in 1923, women started to become
rapporteurs and translators in foreign offices and international conferences.
Although they took direct part in international conferences and applied many of
their knowledge, they continued to be employees and non-professionals in
diplomatic affairs. At the same time, payment was no way near to what men
earned, even though staff was highly needed due to the Second World War.
The
number of women recruited and employed by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign
Affairs was increasing, but the Foreign Service Organic Act of the Diplomatic
and Consular Corps, mentioned in their entrance guidelines that individuals
were required ‘to be single or married to a Mexican woman’, which explicitly favoured
males.
Although
civil and political changes in Mexican law since 1953 were finally defeated in
1982 and women were fully allowed to participate in the Foreign Service without
legal barriers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other Mexican missions
abroad continue to undermined women’s rights.
Since
the creation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the 1850s, only two women
have been designated as head of this office: ambassadors Rosario Green Macías
(former and first female to be elected as UN Assistant Secretary General for Political
Affairs) and Patricia Espinosa Cantellano. Of the 75 embassies that the Mexican
government has abroad, only 9 have women ambassadors, which is equivalent to
just fewer than 30% of the civil servants in this area. Women ministers occupy
the 21% (compared to 79% of men); counsellors 25% (compared to 75% of men),
first secretaries 24% (compared to 76% of men), second secretaries the 25%
(compared to 75% of men), third secretaries as 38% (compared to 62% of men) and
diplomatic aggregates 25% (compared to 75% of men).
Among
the many reasons that make Mexican women lack political opportunities in
diplomatic affairs, are the numerous disparities and inadequate economic,
social and cultural policies implemented by the government. Roots to this
significant problem can be tracked in basic familiar and institutional education,
in which women are constantly taught to be politically indifferent.
In a
demanding and globalized world, countries such as Mexico need to provide
gender-based policies and overcome inequalities. The Mexican Ministry of
Foreign Affairs will continue to be a man’s office until real economic, social
and especially cultural reforms are adequately implemented. Education will play
an important role in shaping the population’s perspectives towards the role of
women in diplomatic and even security issues around the globe. Women have been
capable of dealing with these issues in the past and will certainly represent a
cornerstone for peace and development in Mexico’s future.
For us
Mexican women interested in international affairs and diplomacy, we must still
face cultural judgements and punishments, that include discrimination, sexual
violence and a significant lack of credibility. We will not be able to create a
balanced number between men and women in the Mexican Foreign Service until
society understands that the art of diplomacy among nations can be
appropriately performed by both sexes.
By Karol Alejandra Arámbula
Carrillo (GUADALAJARA, MEXICO)
Further
reading:
