As she takes her oath of office as the 66th president of Mexico today, Claudia Sheinbaum is making history as Mexico’s first female president, marking a significant milestone in the country’s history.
She also makes history as the first president of Jewish heritage in the overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country.
As she leads the world’s largest Spanish-speaking nation, this achievement is especially remarkable in Latin America, where Mexico has traditionally been a socially conservative country, ruled by men for nearly two centuries.
Breaking this mold of male rulership, Sheinbaum’s presidency is paving the way for future generations of women in leadership.
According to Reuters, as the former mayor of Mexico City, Sheinbaum has already demonstrated her leadership capabilities, particularly in the areas of education and environmental policy.
Sheinbaum, a scientist by profession, has authored over 100 articles and two books on energy, environment, and sustainable development.
Six years ago, she made history as Mexico City’s first elected woman mayor.
Until she stepped down last year to run for president, Sheinbaum was known as a data-driven manager, winning plaudits for reducing the megacity’s homicide rate by half, by boosting security spending on an expanded police force with higher salaries.
She has pledged to replicate the strategy across Mexico, where drug cartels exert widespread influence.
