By Archivo General de la Nación - México

Transformations, groups and feminist mobilization in the Mexico of the 70s

Review with us the transformations in the feminist movement in Mexico that gave rise to a new wave of groups and struggles during the 1970s.

Frente Único Pro-Derecho de la Mujer durante la manifestación del 1o de mayo, Día del Trabajo (1936) by AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Enrique Díaz, Delgado y García, caja 59/19.Archivo General de la Nación - México

Although there were prominent women in the past, since the nineteenth century, women increased their struggle to secure more rights, such as access to education and obtaining legal and labor equality.

Grupo de mujeres manifestándose contra la represión en marcha del orgullo homosexual y lésbico (1980) by AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, Concentrados, sobre HMA/CN1/1311.Archivo General de la Nación - México

Despite what women achieved with their individual and collective struggles to access social, political, economic and cultural spheres, relations of oppression and inequality based on macho ideas persisted as an expression of the patriarchal system.

Marcha feminista en favor del aborto libre by AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, Cronológico, sobre HMA/CR1/34329Archivo General de la Nación - México

In this context, it is not surprising that in the 1970s a new wave of the movement emerged in Mexico. Women organized themselves in order to transform uses, customs and beliefs that stereotyped them and the body as a space of power was one of those areas of dispute.

¡A luchar unidas! (1978) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

Influenced by American feminism, one of the first collectives emerged in 1971 with the formation of Women in Solidarity Action (MAS), in addition, it was the first to go out to demonstrate after the repression of 1968.

Movimiento de Liberación de la Mujer, Panfleto promotor de la manifestación del 10 de mayo de 1976 (1976) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

On May 9, 1971, the MAS protested in Mexico City against Mother's Day for reproducing stereotypes and oppressive gender roles, and expressed its demands for sexual and reproductive rights, strongly influenced by the counterculture.

Manifestación en contra de las faldas largas by AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, cronológico, sobre HMA/CR1/26930Archivo General de la Nación - México

This event awakened in Mexican women the individual and collective awareness. Publications, demonstrations, conferences and groups proliferated, which were more present in the mass media and showed solidarity with other struggles.

Mujer tomando la palabra en la Caravana de la Dignidad de los mineros de Coahuila (1951) by AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, cronológico, sobre HMA/CR1/04942.1Archivo General de la Nación - México

The actions carried out by the various groups, both in Mexico and in the world, made a lot of echo. As part of this phenomenon, the year 1975 was named by the UN as the International Year of Women and March 8 was established as International Women's Day.

Presídium del acto conmemorativo del Día Internacional de la Mujer de los países socialistas radicados en México (1976) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

The politicization of March 8 worried the authorities, so events, such as the 1976 commemoration celebrated by socialist countries based in Mexico held at the Julio Jiménez Rueda theater in the city's capital, were monitored by the DFS.

Aspecto parcial de asistentes al mitin organizado por el Movimiento de Liberación de la Mujer (1976) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

By that time more feminist collectives began to appear. The Women's Liberation Movement, which emerged in 1975, was one of the most important, as it laid the foundations of the new feminist consciousness in the country, which grew and multiplied.

Grupo de mujeres que entonó canciones de protesta en el mitin organizado por el Movimiento de Liberación de la Mujer (1976) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

The Women's Liberation Movement used the arts to raise awareness of the situation of Mexican women; as an example is the rally held on May 9, 1976 at the Monument to the Mother, in which the social conception of women as mothers was questioned.

Aspecto de la obra de teatro presentada en el mitin organizado por el Movimiento Liberación de la Mujer (1976) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

During this demonstration, groups of women performed protest songs and performed a satirical play with seven characters representing oppressive elements, such as sexualization, supposed sexual freedom and current gender roles.

Presídium del acto conmemorativo del Día Internacional de la Mujer (1977) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

Women were no strangers to anti-imperialist struggles. In 1977, on the occasion of International Women's Day, at the Paris Cinema, a meeting was held with political, social and cultural organizations of Latin America and the Caribbean in which dictatorships were denounced.

Comité Central Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores y La comisión organizadora, Panfleto promotor de la Conferencia Nacional de Mujeres Insurgentes (1978) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

In 1978, the National Conference of Women Insurgents was held, which touched on issues related to labor inequality between men and women and the promotion of unitary organization in a federation.

Cartel de invitación a la Conferencia Nacional de Mujeres Insurgentes (1978) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

In this conference, the National Council of Women Architects and Engineers of Mexico exposed the labor injustices suffered by women in terms of salary, gender distinction, discrimination and harassment and the obstacles to exercising motherhood in a work context.

Conferencia de prensa del Frente Nacional por la Liberación y los Derechos de la Mujer (1979) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

The feminist movement reached a great cohesion at the end of the decade: on March 8, 1979, at the Faculty of Economics of the UNAM, the National Front of Struggle for the Liberation and Rights of Women (FNLDM), the most important unitary grouping, was officially presented.

Frente Nacional de Lucha por la Liberación y los Derechos de las Mujeres, Por el derecho a la maternidad libre y voluntaria (1979) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

The FNLDM established three axes for the movement: decriminalization of abortion, voluntary motherhood and sex education; elimination of violence against women in all its forms (physical, psychological, sexual, economic) and protection of women who have been violated.

Asistentes al mitin en favor del aborto en la Cámara de Diputados (1979) by AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.Archivo General de la Nación - México

Under these precepts, on March 31, 1979, the FNLDM and the Coalition of Feminist Women held one of their first rallies on the steps of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico City in favor of abortion, which culminated with a festival at the Monument to the Mother.

The different ideological guidelines between the groups and collectives of the feminist movement, such as the relationship with sexual diversity, ended up dividing them, but decades later they resurfaced to defend the ground gained and propose the conquest of new rights.

Feminist currents (liberal, socialist, radical, environmentalist, equality, among others) have not been an obstacle to joint mobilization. Today women are an imposing political force advancing by leaps and bounds for their rights and unity.

Credits: Story

Documentary References:
📜 AGN, México Contemporáneo, Administración Pública Federal S. XX, Secretaría de Gobernación S. XX, Dirección Federal de Seguridad, caja AC 17-4223, exp. 9-116, legajo 3.

📷AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Enrique Díaz, Delgado y García, caja 59/19.
📷AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, cronológico, sobre HMA/CR1/04942.1.
📷AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, Cronológico, sobre HMA/CR1/34329.
📷AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, cronológico, sobre HMA/CR1/26930.
📷AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, Concentrados, sobre HMA/CN1/1311.
📷AGN, Archivos Fotográficos, Hermanos Mayo, Concentrados, sobre HMA/CN1/1311-A.

Credits: All media

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Archivo General de la Nación - México