User:Svmis/Coalition of Mexican Feminist Women: Difference between revisions

 

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By 1978-1980, the Coalitions of Mexican Feminist Women started collaborating with other non-feminist groups to bring in more support to their abortion legislation reform. After four years, the coalition drafted another bill with the same intention of decriminalizing abortion, but with the collaborative help of PCM ([[:es:Partido_Comunista_Mexicano|Partido Comunista Mexicana]], “Mexican Communist Party”) and FNALIDM (Frente Nacional por la Liberación y los Derechos de la Mujer, “National Front for the Liberation and Rights of Women”).<ref name=”:0″ /> The Coalition of Feminist Women anticipated that with the help of PCM, there’d be a higher chance of the bill going through. However, it failed once again. This led to discouragement, leading the Coalition and the voluntary motherhood campaign to fall apart.<ref name=”:1″ />

By 1978-1980, the Coalitions of Mexican Feminist Women started collaborating with other non-feminist groups to bring in more support to their abortion legislation reform. After four years, the coalition drafted another bill with the same intention of decriminalizing abortion, but with the collaborative help of PCM ([[:es:Partido_Comunista_Mexicano|Partido Comunista Mexicana]], “Mexican Communist Party”) and FNALIDM (Frente Nacional por la Liberación y los Derechos de la Mujer, “National Front for the Liberation and Rights of Women”).<ref name=”:0″ /> The Coalition of Feminist Women anticipated that with the help of PCM, there’d be a higher chance of the bill going through. However, failed once again. This led to discouragement, leading the Coalition and the voluntary motherhood campaign to fall apart.<ref name=”:1″ />

== Mother’s Day Protest March (1978) ==

== Mother’s Day Protest March (1978) ==

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Coalition of Mexican Feminist Women

Formation	1975
Purpose	Activism
Origins	Mexico
Official language	Spanish
Publication	Cihuat
Affiliations	Movimento Nacional de Mujeres, Movimento Feminista Mexicano, Colectivo de Mujeres, Movimiento de Liberación de la Mujer, el Grupo Lucha Feminsta and El Colectivo La Revuelta.

Created in 1975, the Coalition of Mexican Feminist Women (Coalición de Mujeres Feministas) was an organization that was established by Mexican feminists. It was formed by six feminist groups: Movimento Nacional de Mujeres, Movimento Feminista Mexicano, Colectivo de Mujeres, Movimiento de Liberación de la Mujer, el Grupo Lucha Feminsta and El Colectivo La Revuelta. The Coalición de Mujeres Feministas created their own feminist newspaper publication, CIHUAT, that was active from 1977 to 1978.^[1]

The Coalición’s priority was to decriminalize abortion in Mexico, articulating that the highest rate of abortions that are registered in Mexico is found amongst women who have at least two children. In September 1977, at the Coalition’s second National Conference on Abortion, members drafted a bill in order to decriminalize abortion, the ‘Law of Voluntary Motherhood.’ They presented the bill to the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico) in December 1977 and demonstrated outside until they were allowed in for an audience with a legislator from the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which did not sponsor the bill before Congress.^[2] In the 1970s, emerging Mexican feminist groups focused on their goals for women’s rights and began working together, allowing the movement to be clearly defined as a social force.^[3]

Revolutionary Family was a term used by PRI politicians. This framework held women to a certain expectation and the roles they were responsible for. The idealized version of a woman in this framework was seen as a stay-at-home Mom, supporting her husband, and most importantly, producing children. PRI believed that women had the sole responsibility of giving birth to future citizens and voters.^[1][2]

Gisela Espinosa Damián, a research professor at the UAM-X, describes the transformation of the feminist movement in the 1970s that developed a connection of mixed organizations andgender struggles with left-wing political groups.^[4] The network of historical feminism was far removed from the popular movements during the 70s, as it raised concerns that led to popular feminism. The Coalición de Mujeres Feministas was fighting against sexual liberty (including homosexuality) and reproductive freedom.^[4]

The government took up the issue of clandestine abortion in 1976, forming an Interdisciplinary Group for the study of Abortion in Mexico, Grupo Interdisciplinario para el estudio del Aborto (GIA). While GIA consulted a few feminists in their capacity as specialists, they did not seek to involve the feminist movement as a participant in the debate. When the Coalición de Mujeres Feministas presented a draft proposal on abortion to the PRI representative in the Chamber of Deputies, their proposal was not debated at the time.^[5] Nor was it debated in 1980, when feminists presented their legal recommendation to left-wing parties who were now represented in the Chamber.^[5]

The United Nations International Women’s Year Conference was held in 1975. This conference focused on Women’s rights and equality. Much controversy began after the conference ended. Many Feminist groups believed that the PRI used this conference as a tool to benefit itself and send a message across Mexico; that it supported women’s rights and welcomed them within political reform to drive change. One Feminist group that believed it was a publicity stunt was MLM (Movimiento de Liberación de Las Mujeres, “Women’s Liberation Movement”). However, around 2000, Mexican women and other women activists across the world believed this was a contribution towards progress within feminism.^[1] Due to the differences in views after the conference, many feminists realized that to successfully achieve the legalization of abortion, unity needed to be the main priority.^[1]

The idea of Voluntary Motherhood was that motherhood was a choice, allowing women the choice of deciding whether or not they wanted children. The term originates from the 19th century through other U.S. feminist activists. The Coalición de Mujeres Feministas adopted this term to strengthen their campaign and push for the decriminalization of abortion in order for women to have a voice. The concept of voluntary motherhood was deeply political for the gender roles society assigned. The PRI saw this as a threat, as they wanted control over Mexico’s individual views and held an idealized idea of a ‘revolutionary family’ and how each gender has a role they are responsible for.^[1]

The bill emphasized indispensable elements, including free and legal abortion, sex education that was developed specifically for different age groups and social sectors, reliable and inexpensive contraceptives, and rejection of forced sterilization. These demands comprised the basic components of the defense of reproductive and sexual rights in Mexico. For this bill to go through, it needed to be presented to the Cámara de Diputados. They demonstrated outside until they were able to meet with a PRI legislator to receive support from Congress. Even with their efforts, the bill failed as Congress did not take it up, leading to the Coalition to have a Mother’s Day Protest March.^[1]

By 1978-1980, the Coalitions of Mexican Feminist Women started collaborating with other non-feminist groups to bring in more support to their abortion legislation reform. After four years, the coalition drafted another bill with the same intention of decriminalizing abortion, but with the collaborative help of PCM (Partido Comunista Mexicana, “Mexican Communist Party”) and FNALIDM (Frente Nacional por la Liberación y los Derechos de la Mujer, “National Front for the Liberation and Rights of Women”).^[5] The Coalition of Feminist Women anticipated that with the help of PCM, there’d be a higher chance of the bill going through. However, the bill failed once again. This led to discouragement, leading the Coalition and the voluntary motherhood campaign to fall apart.^[1]

In 1971, the organization Mujeres en Acción Solidaria (Women in Solidarity Action) also held a Mother’s Day Protest, focusing on the confined biological roles women were responsible for. However, in 1978, due to the rejection of the Coalition’s Voluntary Motherhood Bill, the Coalition held another Mother’s Day protest. The protest concept was “mujeres elutadas” (“mourning women”). This protest was to mourn the deaths of all the women who died from illegal, poorly performed abortions. The group marched from Mexico City’s thoroughfares to the Monument to the Mother. The Coalition’s reasoning behind doing the protest during Mother’s Day was that it was the day PRI, the government, would celebrate the women’s role in the ‘revolutionary family’, and use it as a way to incorporate women into Mexican political life. While doing it during that day, it challenged the PRI’s glorification of motherhood. ^[1]

CIHUAT was the publication produced by the Coalición de Mujeres Feministas. The name CIHUAT derives from the word “cihuatl,” which means “woman” in the Nahuatl tongue.^[6] The Coalición’s first periodical was first published in 1977 and ceased publication in 1978. Only six newspapers were published, which shared information amongst other women, fought stereotypes that downplayed feminists, address the Voluntary Motherhood Bill, and talk about the work being done during the coalition’s activism.^[7] Dr. Mireya Gutierrez, a member of the Mexican Feminist Movement, collaborated with the Women’s National Movement, started the newspaper.^[7]

CIHUAT advocated for free and legal abortion, sexual education starting in primary school, and access to contraceptives. This newspaper outlet, most of all, was used to meet the needs of feminists and be a place where people were able to express themselves about the activism of the Coalición.^[7] CIHUAT’s argued to reform laws on women being imprisoned for these issues and eliminate all punishment for voluntary abortion. They proposed affordable abortion procedures and accessible contraceptives made available. Another proposal urges the implementation of sexual education for all ages, and men take accountability for contraception. PRI rejected the ideas that were presented but promoted birth control over the fear of overpopulation.^[7]

Trayectoria (Trajectory) was the first issue of CIHUAT. It was published in May 1977. It aimed to inform women by sharing feminist ideas and encouraging participation in activism. It indicated that women need a strategic plan in making themselves be presented as human beings rather than objects.^[6] These tactics and objectives would help them to challenge oppressing systems such as capitalism and traditional patriarchy that exploit Mexican women. This publication also has various columns addressing various other outlets for inequality, ranging from familial gender roles to economic exploitation.^[6] The publication was intended to act as a vehicle for the exchange of ideas and information amongst women and called for mobilization through groups like the Coalición de Mujeres. Also in this exchange was the publication of current or future events at the time, resource centers for women, and requests for studies focused on the improvement for rights and livelihoods of Mexican women.^[6]

Aborto en Mexico (Abortion in Mexico) was the fifth issue of CIHUAT. It was published in September 1977. It was comprised of 6 total pages with various illustrations and text columns that addresses issues such as abortion and the crisis of women being silenced in Mexico at the time. It provided women statistics for the high incidence rate of abortions in Mexico and further highlighted this health and social issue for the country.^[8] Further discussion of abortion’s legal status and moral implications was published throughout this issue. This issue called for safe and legal abortion. Various artwork and political cartoons were utilized depicting women, the right to their bodies, and aims for coalition building were displayed throughout the article. Other topics discussed were consumer interests of Mexican citizens, gendered challenges in the workforce, and political theory and feminism in Mexican society.^[8] Advertisements and invitations to conferences and symposiums for women’s studies were noted for women in the Coalición de Mujeres.^[8]