Claudia Sheinbaum. Photo Shutterstock Text Youssef el Katthabi
WUR is incredibly diverse, with hundreds of internationals working and studying here. In this column, we ask one of them to comment on certain events in their home country. This time, Biosystems Engineering MSc student Noé Malagón (30) shares his thoughts on the election of Mexico’s first female president.
Malagón: ‘The expectation that a woman would be elected president of Mexico has been in the air for months. Two of the three largest coalitions were led by women, while the third candidate, a man, didn’t seem to stand much chance. So, when I heard that Claudia Sheinbaum had won, it felt like a reaffirmation of something most people already expected.
‘I hope the election of our first female president helps reduce the deeply rooted sexism in Mexican society. Her science background also gives me hope that she will bring fresh perspectives to leadership. I think younger generations like mine are ready for a shift in values, and her presidency might reflect that change. So far, it seems the influence of the former president and the ruling party played a bigger role in her election than her individual actions. She’ll need to step out of his shadow to truly define her leadership.
‘Based on her previous role as head of Mexico City’s government, I’m worried she may struggle to make the rapid, significant changes we need. The biggest challenges she’ll face are related to the decisions made by the previous administration. She’ll need to restructure the judiciary, for example, as it lacks a functioning legal framework.
‘She’ll also need to address the country’s long-neglected issues, like labour reform. Right now, Mexicans work 48 hours a week, but there’s growing pressure to reduce that to 40 hours, and to increase the number of paid vacation days. Security has also been a persistent problem in Mexico for more than 20 years. There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Tax reform is urgently needed too. Right now, inheritance isn’t taxed in Mexico, which allows wealth to stay concentrated in the hands of a few. That has to change if we want to reduce the gap between rich and poor.’
