Feminist Chiapas,Oct 29
tlagiloi
....... by Diego Cevallos October 29, 2004
IPS
MEXICO CITY - In December Mari'a Sa'nchez will become the first woman to
govern an indigenous municipality in the southeastern Mexican state of
Chiapas, where she is bucking local tradition. "I am the first, but there
will be many more," she says.
"I can see that my brothers and sisters respect me and I respect them, which
is why I have been able to achieve this great triumph, which won't be the
only one for indigenous women," Sa'nchez told IPS from Chiapas in a telephone
interview.
In two elections, in June and early this month, she managed to break with
the indigenous customs and traditions of the municipality of Oxchuc and of a
large part of the impoverished state of Chiapas, according to which women
are not capable of governing.
Sa'nchez' case is an exception. In Mexico, indigenous women not only suffer
the brunt of high levels of marginalisation and poverty, but in some parts
of the country, they are forced to marry against their will, at a young age;
in some cases, they may even be sold.
Indigenous women in Mexico have a life expectancy of 71.5 years, compared to
76 years for indigenous men. Indians make up around 10 per cent of the total
population of 102 million.
While 18 per cent of men belonging to native ethnic groups are illiterate,
this figure reaches 32 per cent for women. And just 8.9 per cent of
indigenous women make it to secondary school.
On average, 10 ten per cent of the country's indigenous people between the
ages of five and 24 do not attend school -- a proportion that rises to 42
when taking only girls and women into account.
"I have been lucky to be able to study, because I took on that challenge.
But now I am facing something much more difficult, which is leading my
community," Sa'nchez remarked.
Sa'nchez, who studied accounting and administration at university, will in
December take over as mayor of Oxchuc, a municipality extending over 72
square kilometres which is home to approximately 40,000 members of the
Tzetzal ethnic group, who live in dire poverty.
Oxchuc is near the area dominated by the Zapatista National Liberation Army
(EZLN), a poorly armed indigenous guerrilla group that has not fired a
single shot since 1994.
In elections held in accordance with local indigenous tradition, which were
not officially recognised, Sa'nchez stood in June as candidate for mayor.
Despite the opposition of the municipality's elders, she won the support of
the majority.
Sa'nchez then went on to win the early October elections organised and
endorsed by the Electoral Institute of Chiapas.
"To us, the municipal elections of Oct. 3 were just a formal requirement, as
the community had in fact already elected me," she pointed out.
The candidacy of Sa'nchez, of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI),
was questioned by the elders of Oxchuc, who claim to be the defenders of
customs and traditions, as well as by her male rivals, who point out that
the mayor-elect is the wife of outgoing Mayor Norberto Santiz.
"I haven't received any help from my husband. It is the community which has
given me its support in order to try to pull out of this tremendous
poverty," she stated.
"I will govern for everyone, because paying attention only to one's
supporters or friends are things that have already done a great deal of harm
to indigenous peoples. As the first female mayor I have a great
responsibility," she added.
In Oxchuc, 87.8 per cent of the inhabitants work in agriculture, illiteracy
stands at 31 per cent, 88.7 per cent of houses have dirt floors, and 82.7
per cent of them have flimsy wooden walls.
According to the mayor-elect, who will serve a three year-term, neither the
EZLN nor other organisations have influence over Oxchuc. "We are surrounded
by groups, but here in our community we don't have those problems," she
said.
"I respect the Zapatistas and hope that they also respect our community. The
worst we could do would be to create divisions among indigenous peoples."
According to the EZLN, women hold leadership positions in their area of
influence, which is not far from Oxchuc. The group accuses the PRI, to which
Sa'nchez belongs, of harassing their members and supporters, even by use of
military means.
Studies conducted by the Mexican government indicate that the Zapatistas
control less than 15 per cent of the 75,634 square kilometres of Chiapas.
EZLN authorisation is needed to enter those areas, which are administered
according to customs and laws dictated by the Zapatistas.
The EZLN, which does not take part in local or national politics, says real
justice, communal living and respect for women and the environment prevail
in its territory. Since the Zapatistas engaged in fighting with government
troops in the first two weeks of January 1994, there have been no skirmishes
with the army, thanks to a "pacification law" or truce.
There are no precise figures as to how many indigenous people live in the
area under EZLN control, but unofficial estimates indicate that the total is
at least 100,000.
Since President Vicente Fox's electoral triumph put an end to seven decades
of PRI governments in 2000, the Zapatistas have lost the prominent role they
had gained by mobilising supporters of democracy and the rights of
indigenous peoples.
Surrounding the Zapatista region, there are communities and organisations
opposed to the EZLN, and violent incidents have occurred on more than one
occasion.
The bloodiest was a Dec. 22, 1997 massacre, when members of the Catholic
civil society organisation "The Bees" were attacked in the town of Acteal by
right-wing paramilitaries, who killed 21 women, 15 children and nine men.
A late 1990s study by the Jesuit-affiliated Agusti'n Pro Jua'rez Human Rights
Centre found evidence that the so- called Anti-Zapatista Indigenous
Revolutionary Movement, which purportedly has ties to the PRI, is operating
in Oxchuc and surrounding areas.
But according to Sa'nchez, "That isn't true. There are no violent groups in
Oxchuc. Here, the only thing we want is to live in peace and escape
poverty."
"We respect the Zapatistas' way of thinking, but we also hope that they
respect ours, for the good of everyone," she insisted.
"What the people in Chiapas want is work, since we are poor and suffer great
hardships. I have come to make my contribution," the mayor-elect added.
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