Igualdad de género en la revolución zapatista de Chiapas. Los derechos de la mujer zapatista

Abstract

The Chiapas Zapatista Revolution and the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) present a number of unusual characteristics, in particular the significant presence of women. Women dominate the private and public life of indigenous communities, occupying senior positions in the militia and in all government institutions, as well as carrying the burden of domestic life. The female zapatistas have lobbied the Mexican State to recognise their rights and some of these were included in the Mexican constitutional reform of 2001. One of the first revolutionary laws issued by the zapatistas was the Revolutionary Law of Women, which even predates the January 1994 Zapatista Revolution. This entails equal rights and obligations for indigenous men and women. However, indigenous customs and traditions impede the full effect of the rights enshrined in this law.