Political participation of indigenous women in municipalities governed by custom. From San Juan Cotzocón and Santiago Zacatepec, Oaxaca

Abstract

The Mexican government has implemented electoral political reforms at the federal level for women to exercise their political rights and access charges by way of political parties more equitably than men. However, in municipalities governed by customary law, the Constitution and the Electoral Law of Oaxaca are unable to coerce the authorities to guarantee the exercise of political rights to all citizens belonging to the community because of the autonomy they have to decide who can exercise them. In this study the movements of struggle of indigenous respect for women’s rights, forms of municipal participation, examples of women who have agreed to mayors and the context of two county seats are examined: San Juan Cotzocón in that women are not considered as political agents, unable to exercise their rights and Santiago Zacatepec, which have occupied community charges, no access to municipal.