Machismo and discrimination are some of the main problems faced by indigenous women, not only in their communities and municipalities, according to participants in the discussion entitled Indigenous Women, Voice, Struggle, and Resilience, organized by the Intercultural Network of Women Lawyers of Chiapas.
Patricia Díaz López, one of the speakers, said that “the most difficult thing is to break stereotypes,” and stressed that “we are gaining ground and occupying the spaces that macho and misogynistic men had held, taking advantage of the misnamed customs and traditions because they are not.”
She added that “what keeps us going is resilience, perseverance, persistence, and above all, conviction and love for what we do” to defend women’s rights.
“Machismo and discrimination are too strong when you are indigenous, and even more so if you are a woman; they push us aside and don’t let us participate in communities; it is difficult to stand up as women,” said María Pérez Díaz, another participant in the discussion, which took place in the Jacinto Arias auditorium of the Intercultural University of Chiapas (Unich), based in San Cristóbal.
The event was attended by professional women, activists, and women who have participated in political activities, overcoming machismo even within their own families and communities.
Juana Gómez Jiménez said that “because of discrimination, as indigenous women, our knowledge is belittled; we are often looked down upon for wearing traditional dress and speaking an indigenous language. Discrimination is very strong and painful for us, but we will continue to fight because if we don’t, there will be no respect and they will continue to treat us the same. We have to say enough is enough.”
Margarita Martínez Pérez remarked, “It is difficult to be a woman, and even more so if you are indigenous. When I left the community, the first thing that happened was that they criticized my father, asking him why he let me study when women are only good for finding a husband and getting pregnant. Then I had pressure from my father, who asked me not to let him down, not to find a husband or get pregnant while I was studying.”
She added: “They also tell us: shut up and keep your head down because you have no right to speak. They even told me that when I was already a teacher and I wanted to cry and shout at them, but we have to show them otherwise because we can’t keep quiet. They told me: Your place is at home, making tortillas. And yes, I also make tortillas. No matter how prepared we are, they will always deny us as women. Today I felt happy because it’s the first time they’ve read my complete resume.”
Patricia Gómez López stated that “discrimination also exists among women, not only among men. I have seen it in my community. I do not speak ill of men because we are all valuable, men and women alike. In the community, they do not let us speak because they say we do not know anything, but I tell women that we should participate and not be afraid.”
She added that “we already have rights as women, we are no longer alone, we must raise our voices so that our husbands do not hit or mistreat us, but some women are afraid and say that if they report their husbands and they are sent to prison, they will have no one to support them and their children. That is why some women do not report their husbands.”
She added: “My husband was macho, but once I raised my voice and said, ‘Enough, if you touch me, I’ll sue you,’ and that was the end of it. Little by little, we are making progress. We must raise our voices; we must not give up.”
At the end of the discussion held in the context of International Indigenous Women’s Day, commemorated on September 5, the president of the Intercultural Network of Women Lawyers of Chiapas, Ana Palma, swore in four new members: Selena Bautista Huacash, Yésica Díaz Hernández, Mayuli Aquino González, and Valeria Saraí Ruiz Ruiz.
Original text by Elio Henríquez published in La Jornada on Sepember 14th, 2025.
Translation by Schools for Chiapas.