Abstract

VAZQUEZ GARCIA, Verónica  and  MUNOZ RODRIGUEZ, Carolina. Género, etnia y participación política en San Pedro y San Pablo Ayutla, Oaxaca: Una primera aproximación. Región y sociedad [online]. 2013, vol.25, n.57, pp.137-163. ISSN 2448-4849.

Oaxaca is the first state in Mexico to acknowledge the custom and practice system as a form of government. However, women's political participation within this system is a pending issue. By drawing on data obtained through a survey, two workshops and three interviews, this article examines women's access to and experiences with holding community offices. Women who occupy these positions are leaders, do not have a partner and can read and write. Nonetheless, they are located at the bottom of the pyramid, executing the decisions of others. They are overworked, and double standards are used to judge their performance. Given the fact that they are in a male-dominated environment, their reputation is constantly questioned. Among the satisfactions derived from occupying these positions are meeting and interacting with other people, learning new things and gaining community respect.

Keywords : gender; ethnicity; municipality; self-government; politics; Oaxaca.