Mexico 68 - Role of Women

Role of Women

Women played an important role in the movement of Mexico 68. According to Elaine Carey, the female participants in the movement lived through an intense social experience and a sudden expansion of their expectations as citizens and as women. Many women awakened to the political and social commitment that had made. Before the repression of the initial demonstration, there were already some student groups that gave women the opportunity to participate actively in the social movement. Because of this, feminist ideas started to spread and grow stronger. At the time, government officials tended to focus on the men in the movement, discounting the significance of the role played by women. As a result of this discrimination, men became the target of the government during the crackdown of October 2, 1968, leaving women behind. This gave female members the opportunity to keep the movement alive, determining its direction in the ensuing years. One of the most important feminist groups was “Las Panchas Pomposas.”

Marta Lamas, one of the most lucid representatives of Mexican feminism, gave women the opportunity of participating in Mexican movements. In the early years of the following decade, the Liberation of Women Movement, Women in Action Association and the National Women's Movement, among other organizations, were created.

Rosario Castellanos covered a domestic women's strike in the United States in the name of feminism. She used the strike as an example in order to question concepts of Mexican femininity. With these actions, Rosario Castellanos opened the door to more discussion concerning feminism.

Carmen Landa showed by her own example how changes have been made and how the feminist movement could change lives. Her introduction to feminism in 1968 lead her to become part of this movement.

These are some examples of women in the movement, however, there were many more like Alejandra Herrera, Vida Valero, Mercedes Perelló, among many others.