By Aida Cepeda, Age 11
Did you know that Mexico is two steps ahead of the United States, because they have recently elected their first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, who is trying to defend women’s rights in Mexico?
Sheinbaum is 63 years old. Before she became president of Mexico, she worked as a scientist and specialized in climate change. She was also former mayor of Mexico City from 2018 until 2023. As president, she has proposed laws to try to equalize the pay for women and men, because in Mexico, women make 65 pesos for every 100 pesos a man earns, according to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness think tank. Sheinbaum has also tried to protest against violence toward women in Mexico. More than 70% of women and girls aged 15 and older have been victims of violence in Mexico, according to a survey by the country’s statistics agency in 2022.
“The difference in wages, even violence against women, comes from discrimination,” Sheinbaum said, according to Reuters.
Sheinbaum is also facing Trump putting 30% fees, called tariffs, on products that come into the United States from Mexico. Trump swore to impose tariffs on Mexico until fentanyl, a deadly drug, stopped making its way into the United States. This has posed a challenge for Sheinbaum to defend her country.
Sheinbaum is loved in Mexico. According to Bloomberg, her approval rating is 85%. Her younger fans have been calling her “la patrona de México,” which means “the queen of Mexico.”
Sheinbaum has not only made history, but also herstory.
Herstory is history, but from a woman’s point of view, and the main focus is the experiences of women. Feminism also plays an important part in Sheinbaum’s life as president. A feminist is anyone who’s committed to equal rights for all genders. A feminist can be any gender, a political activist advocating for women’s rights, or someone who’s simply choosing to uplift women and girls in their everyday life. President Sheinbaum is doing this by helping change Mexico and making it a better place.
