Mexican Politics & Gender Parity

ByMartí Batres

This editorial by Martí Batres originally appeared in the March 9, 2026 edition of El Heraldo de México. The views expressed in this article are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of Mexico Solidarity Media or the Mexico Solidarity Project.

In her book Politics of Sexes, Sylviane Agacinski recalls that: “The idea of ​​parity was first advanced by one of the most audacious French feminists, Hubertine Auclert, the same one who, in 1880, in a letter to the prefect, had refused to pay her taxes until she could vote.”

“Some years later, in 1884,” Agacinski continues, “Hubertine Auclert again called for the extension of so-called ‘universal’ suffrage to women and suggested at the same time that the Assemblies should be composed ‘of as many women as men’.”

However, more than a century later, when writing her book, Agacinski makes a denunciation, a painful complaint: “There is unanimous indignation at the small number of women in the National Assembly and the Senate – about 5 percent in 1996! – and when it is declared desirable that women and men participate equally in decision-making.”

Even now, 30 years after Agacinski’s book, the representation of women and men in the French National Assembly is not equal. It barely reaches 36% of the total.

In several so-called first-world countries, which are presented as the most advanced civilizations in the dominant discourse, the situation is no better. In the United States, women hold 28% of the seats. In Canada, 30%; in Italy, 32%; in Germany, 32%; in Japan, 14%; and in South Korea, 17%.

Women’s legislative representation in European countries has improved in Switzerland, at 39%; in the United Kingdom, at 40%; and in Spain, at 44%. It has also improved in the so-called advanced welfare states: Norway: 42%; Denmark: 44%; Sweden: 44%; and Finland: 45%.

Women’s legislative representation, however, reaches its highest percentages in African, Arab, and Latin American countries. For example: Rwanda: 63%; Cape Verde: 45%; South Africa: 45%; United Arab Emirates: 50%; Cuba: 57%; Nicaragua: 55%; Bolivia: 50%; Mexico: 50%; Costa Rica: 49%.

Mexico has 50% female representation in Congress. Almost exact parity. In the Chamber of Deputies there are 249 men and 251 women. In the Senate, 64 men and 64 women.

Furthermore, it currently has female Speakers in both legislative chambers. It has a Supreme Court of Justice with five female and four male justices. And a female President of Mexico, Head of State, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

In the Judiciary, only Bolivia has made progress towards parity.

Since 2019 constitutionally, and since 2025 in practice, Mexico is the only country in the world with parity of women and men in the three branches of government.