Background and context
Eufrosina Cruz comes from a tiny Zapotec village called Santa María Quiegolani in Oaxaca, Mexico, where Zapotec is the native language. Her life was as so many Zapotec women traditionally lived: getting up at 3 o'clock in the morning, gathering fuel, grinding maize, preparing tortillas, watching the children and cleaning the house. Most girls in such villages have little chance to complete grade school and are married at a young age to men chosen by their fathers. At the age of 11, Eufrosina Cruz decided that she didn't want to live like this and left to study and learn Spanish. She wanted a better future and eventually to help the other women that were discriminated against and marginalized. She graduated from college with a degree in accounting and obtained a job teaching in indigent communities. Here she served as community instructor for education and founded three high schools in indigenous municipalities.Daniel Blancas Madrigal''Usos y Costumbres'' Law
In 2007 she was eventually allowed in the election because the ruling family thought no one in town would dare to violate the tradition and vote for a woman. To everybody's surprise Eufrosina Cruz won the election (although the former authorities suggest otherwise). However, this victory was not accepted, and the election was annulled by the male authorities of the village. Votes for Cruz and her application for mayor were discarded. The former mayor of the municipality said "women do not exist here" and "women were created to serve men, to cook and care for children, but not to govern." The indigenous authority based their reason for this on oral traditions that said that women are not allowed in political positions in the community. This was in a way valid, since the ''usos y costumbres'' (uses and customs) law in the Oaxacan constitution states that indigenous communities can elect and form parties according to their own traditions and customs. Oaxaca is the only state with this law, which is meant to respect the democratic practices of indigenous communities and protect their traditions. The communal authority is in this case stronger than the overall state politics.Constitución Política del Estado Libre y Soberano de OaxacaSuccesses of Eufrosina Cruz
Eufrosina Cruz did not give up; instead, she addressed human rights organizations and state authorities. The matter was taken seriously, and she gained national recognition. As a consequence, on January 18, 2008, for the first time, a former governor visited Eufrosina Cruz's small community, to demand that women should be able to have better lives. In February 2008 Cruz filed a complaint to the Human Rights Commission. The Commission recognized the violation of her rights. As a result, the government introduced an initiative to amend Article 25 of the state constitution, which was approved by the state congress. Since the September 21, 2009, Article 25 paragraph A section II of the Constitution of Oaxaca has stated the following: "La ley protegerá y propiciará las prácticas democráticas en todas la comunidades del estado de Oaxaca, para la elección de sus ayuntamientos, en los términos establecidos por el artículo segundo, apartado A, fracciones III y VII de la Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos y 16 de la Constitución Política de Oaxaca; establecerá los mecanismos para garantizar la plena y total participación de la mujer en dichos procesos electorales, y el ejercicio de su derecho a votar y ser votada en condiciones de igualdad con el de los varones, y sancionará su contravención." (translation: "The law shall protect and facilitate democratic practices in all communities of the state of Oaxaca, for the election of their councils, in the terms established by Article Two, Section A, sections III and VII of the Constitution of the United Mexican States and 16 of the Constitution of Oaxaca, establish mechanisms to ensure the full involvement of women in these elections, and the exercise of their right to vote and be voted oron an equal footing with that of men, and punish its violation.") * March 2008: Eufrosina Cruz became founder and director of QUIEGO, AC (see below) * October 3, 2008: Eufrosina Cruz received the ''Premio Nacional de la Juventud'' (National Youth Award) in the category of contribution to the political culture from the President of México. * Cruz represented Mexico in the Iberoamerican conference onQUIEGO, A.C.
In March 2008, Eufrosina Cruz founded the non-profit association QUIEGO (Queremos unir, integrando por la equidad y género, a Oaxaca). The goal of this nonprofit is to bring attention to the situation of indigenous women, and ensuring that injustice such as what Eufrosina went through will not happen again. QUIEGO stands for equality between indigenous men and women, and wants women to have equal rights in development, progress, and education. This will be done through promoting human rights, making the importance of freedom and being a woman clear, creating projects to improve women's quality of life, and women's rights workshops. It will not only affect Quiegolani but also other indigenous communities in Oaxaca. * On December 6, 2008, QUIEGO organized the first forum in the history of the region to discuss the importance of women in community development and their right to access social programs. * Shortly after the forum, theReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cruz, Eufrosina Living people Women members of the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico) Members of the Congress of Oaxaca Zapotec people 1979 births Politicians from Oaxaca National Action Party (Mexico) politicians Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico) 21st-century Mexican politicians 21st-century Mexican women politicians Indigenous Mexican women 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native Americans