Former Mayor of Mexico City Claudia Sheinbaum has emerged as the country’s first female president after a hectic election on Sunday.
The 61-year-old physicist turned politician has extensive experience in both the fields of science and politics.
You might be wondering how Sheinbaum was able to achieve this great feat.
Let’s dive into the details of the president.
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Who is Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s first woman president?
Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo was born in Mexico City on 24 June 1962. She is the second daughter of a family of scientists: her father, Carlos, a chemist, and her mother, Annie, a biologist.
How did Claudia Sheinbaum attain success as a scientist?
Sheinbaum studied Physics at the Faculty of Science at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, graduating in 1989.
She obtained a master’s degree in Energy Engineering from UNAM and in 1995, she became the first woman to earn a doctorate at the UNAM Faculty of Engineering.
In the same year, she went to California for four years on a UNAM scholarship to pursue a doctorate at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
She also joined the academic staff of the Engineering Institute that year and has since held various high-level positions, working with government agencies and international organizations.
How did Claudia Sheinbaum join politics?
Sheinbaum’s political career kicked off in 2000 when she started as the Secretary of the Environment of the Federal District.
In 2006, she bravely left her post to join Andrés López Obrador’s presidential campaign as his spokesperson.
She later served as the Secretary of Defense of the National Heritage under Obrador’s leadership.
Her commitment to public service is evident in her leadership of the Movement in Defense of Petroleum, where she organized protest brigades named “Adelitas” to advocate for more time for legislation and discussion on energy reform.
In 2015, she shattered barriers by becoming the first woman elected to lead the Tlalpan mayor’s office.
She also made history once more as the first woman to become the Head of Government of Mexico City, leading the “Together We Will Make History” coalition.
What does her victory mean for Mexican Women?
Sheinbaum’s emergence in a country like Mexico is a sign that the country is finally evolving.
Amidst the political violence that rocked the election in various parts of the country, she emerged victorious with a score of 58% and 60% beating her runner up Xochitl Galvez who scored 23%.
In her victory speech she said, “For the first time in 200 years of the Mexican republic, I will become the first woman president of Mexico”.
Referring to the gender parity in the cabinet and the high number of women serving as state governors, Sheinbaum said, “I’ve said it from the start, this is not just about me getting to the top office, it’s about all of us getting here”.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
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