Participating as a Young Women in Mexican politics. Part 2
It occurred to be the inception of federal campaigns for the 2000 election. I was 14 and distributing out flyers every day in support of the presidential candidate, believing I was part of a project that anticipated a change for the country. I believed we were going to make a change by having the first presidential candidate for that year be one from an opposing party for the first time in history. We did, we made that change and I was part of it. I was thrilled by the experience and didn’t know it would become a lifestyle for me. I was young, naive, and of course a female.
After being part of the young women’s organization for some years and actively participating in meetings and events, I moved to the capital city to study Law. While at Law school, I worked and actively participated in political events trying to make my way in, thinking I could still make a difference with my participation. I watched how women continued to fail in their attempts to become leaders or public figures; men with money and other kinds of power or persuasion needed to go first.
Every event, every meeting, was a battle for position, it became an odyssey. Men saw you as an accessory to help you meet their goals and satisfy the gender quota, and women, instead of supporting each other tried to block every participation that would help you stand out.
2006 Federal election came again, and now I was able to work inside the political structure as part of the electoral staff, coordinating and organizing voting packages.
Despite my role, I applied, raised my hand to be in the organizational and logistics team, but women and part of the young team members didn’t want me to be there, so they found ways to hinder my way in.
Rumors and gossips about my involvement in the party were starting to spread like fire. It was like being bullied in elementary school just because someone saw you differently or just didn’t like you, you represent danger, now the smart thing to do was to just sit down and ignore.
Members attempted to hurt my moral being and self-esteem. Working and watching your back, trying to be a step ahead to prevent being pushed down was an everyday game.
We won presidential elections that year again, we gained seats on the senate and state legislatures. The feeling of justice and opportunity started to make its way in the country, or at least that is how many of us perceived it.
The real challenge came when in 2009, elections for state government came around. I had earned enough credentials not only inside my political party but in my community as a recognized figure of leadership and women empowerment. We had been preparing for years for that moment. Again, I faced one of the most embarrassing moments when endorsed by the leader of the Juvenile movement to become the state coordinator for young women and lead the state campaign. Unfortunately, the endorsement was made with no witnesses, when It was time to take the stand, another potential figure came out to take the position leaving us both into an uncomfortable situation none wanted to deal with but both wanted to fight for. So I did, I had to work a better plan on with less support from the core group to be able to “deserve” the spot. after some struggle and proving worth, I was placed at an office where most of the members were men, not the most welcoming I should say. It became a constant battle of egos and proving who was better than the other instead of focusing on the bigger picture.
Constant getting through drama, men against you, women against you, protecting your moral values, and integrity was the personal end result of a successful campaign where our candidate won by far. I did not only reach my quota, I went overboard. Apparently for some not enough, for others admirable. I was satisfied with myself.
The intention of not giving much detail is just exposing very generally my venture in politics. I am sure there is a struggle everywhere in the world. But opportunity and empowerment could be a game-changer in turning opportunities for everyone. Things still have not changed in Mexico for opportunities to let women succeed in politics. Positions have been given to people less prepared or with a poorer vision just to fill in the gender quota. Others willing to go through the adversity of being part of a political group for the belief of a change are deemed as a threat and not even make it halfway, instead, their potential is being used for personal purposes and never pushed to move forward.
