Institutions, Not Culture: Explaining the Failure to Elect Women in Indigenous Southern Mexico

36 Pages Posted: 13 Jul 2012 Last revised: 16 Aug 2012

See all articles by Todd Eisenstadt

Todd Eisenstadt

American University - Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS); American University - School of Public Affairs

Jennifer Yelle

American University

Michael S. Danielson

American University

Date Written: August 15, 2012

Abstract

This paper argues that the exclusion of women from political offices in Mexico and Latin America’s customary law communities, more broadly, is much more than a problem of the purported patriarchal cultures of indigenous and rural communities. We claim, based on a comprehensive survey of 466 mayors in the indigenous state of Oaxaca, that the underrepresentation of women is a function of institutions limiting female candidates. We test this “candidate pipeline” hypothesis, adapted from U.S.-based studies, against the hypothesis that culture — as measured by indigenous ethnicity — has an independent effect on women’s representation. The paper disconfirms that patriarchal, traditionalist cultures of indigenous communities cause underrepresentation in the election of women and instead finds that a particular set of local institutions, which are more prevalent in indigenous municipalities, blocks the pipeline of potential women candidates. We conclude by considering the normative implications for customary law representation.

Keywords: Multiculturalism, gender, representation, women, elections, indigenous, Latin America, Mexico, customary law, indigeneity

Suggested Citation

Eisenstadt, Todd and Eisenstadt, Todd and Yelle, Jennifer and Danielson, Michael S., Institutions, Not Culture: Explaining the Failure to Elect Women in Indigenous Southern Mexico (August 15, 2012). APSA 2012 Annual Meeting Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2104660

Todd Eisenstadt (Contact Author)

American University - Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS) ( email )

4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
United States

American University - School of Public Affairs ( email )

Washington, DC 20016
United States

Jennifer Yelle

American University ( email )

Michael S. Danielson

American University ( email )

4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016
United States

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