Lourdes Mendoza

Is Mexico ready to have a female president? The answer is, yes, but NOT just any woman.

By Lourdes Mendoza

Zaira, president! was heard last Thursday at the Jaime Torres Bodet auditorium, when she was sworn in as president of the Mexican Association of Women Heads of Business of Mexico City (AMMJE CDMX).

And let me tell you that, inspiring as she is, this natural woman leader at the end of her speech launched into an activity that touched all of us present, she said:

"I ask you to hold his hand, whoever is in front of you and behind you. I know it is a little uncomfortable, but it is worth it". And without further ado we did it and then we heard her say: "I invite you to be links, that we leave here with a commitment to give a hand to those who are opening the gap and we admire, but also to those who come behind us to push it forward" How they got the eye!

Great words, great wishes, from a great woman.

Who must not be having a very good time is José Antonio Centeno, the former president of Canacintra, who - besides not having a clean and transparent administration - is a misogynist in every sense of the word, just to tell you that he pejoratively said to his female members - who are raising their voices against his actions -: if you don't like it, go to the AMMJE, you misogynist lout! In fact, and although they are not here to know it, I can tell you that today Esperanza Ortega is the president of Canacintra, who is also a great woman and was accompanying Zaira.

Returning to Zaira, I tell you that in an interview she told me that as president of the AMMJE CDMX she seeks, and I have no doubt that she will succeed, to sow the seed that we can only transform the country if we promote support among women in any of the spheres in which they seek to develop, designing models and tools that help them not only in the consolidation of their work, but in the search for financial autonomy, and to promote, attentively, the formality of their businesses led by women.

"AMMJECDMX, represents what as a businesswoman I always looked for, a hand to push me forward, and I know that, as well as me, for many, AMMJE has been of great help in making the importance of women in Mexico's economy known. We are a tribe determined to strengthen our role as leaders in our sectors".

Seeing and hearing her speak with such passion inspired me to want to work alongside her and accompany her on the path of her presidency.

"We do not demand privileges, but we are not going to accept less than what is rightfully ours, and I will explain why"....

Hold on and inhale and exhale, as the hard data he gave will give you pause for thought.

"We are responsible for 36% of the jobs generated in the formal economy, greater gender equality correlates positively with higher GDP per capita; women's participation in the workforce and income, generates greater economic growth and have a multiplier effect on society as a whole; companies when they have three or more women on their boards of directors, or in a top management, has caused companies to outperform by 53% compared to those in which no women are present."

I told you so!

"Women like waters when they come together they grow" words that resounded at Zaira's inauguration. Incredibly, the only government ally who arrived was Mauricio Tabe, mayor of Miguel Hidalgo. Neither Adrian Ruvalcaba, nor Fadlala Akabani, secretary of economic development, nor the regent Claudia Sheinbaum, who is a feminist? She should have been there. Instead she sent the Secretary of Women's Affairs.

"We demand active participation with the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies and the Congress of the CDMX to ensure that the mechanisms for the protection of women and access to opportunities do not remain only on paper. We also want to establish links with the government of the CDMX and municipalities to promote the economy at the local level, making it simpler and much more efficient.

I must also tell you that Zaira is bothered by injustice and apathy, by contemplating pain and doing nothing about it. Her key banners have been: the vulnerability of children and how to achieve true economic independence for women.

"The worst thing is to get used to walking on stones and not moving them, to walk without questioning and not putting your talents and knowledge into practice to design your own terrain that adapts to what only you want," he says.

Wood, a lot of wood and good wood there is in this woman. For which, I put my hands in the fire that she will leave and give everything and more to germinate the seed of change.